Command effect: Rise of the three powers
by aris1606
Summary: Anyone wondering what would happen after the events of the Uprising? There are a lot of possibilities. Time machines, Yuriko Omega on the loose, desolators, giga fortresses and a lot of other stuff. It's gonna be a crazy ride.
1. Uprising's aftermath

My first fanfiction. Both Mass Effect and Command Conquer belong to EA games. The story and idea is mine however. Warning: Violence, strong language and racist slurs WILL be included.

Enjoy.

17th August 1977

After the events of the Uprising, the Soviet Union, the Empire of the Rising Sun and the Alliance came to a stalemate. Finding no other alternative, a summit was called between their respective leaders, Premier Nikolai Sokolov, Emperor Tatsu and Field Marshal Robert Bingham.

The purpose of the summit was to call a complete ceasefire between the powers so that they would be allowed the time to recuperate and rebuild. Of course, such task wouldn't be so simple...

"You honorless gaijin! First you invade our lands and then you ask for reparations?..."

Stood Emperor Tatsu, shouting at premier Nikolai, trembling with barely contained rage.

"...ordering your attack dogs to destroy my father's resting place and you have the audacity to demand such a thing?"

The Soviet Premier, while also angry, was still sitting on his chair, without breaking eye contact with his adversary.

"And you forgot Vladivostok little boy? Or your precious honor was more important than the tens of thousands of civilians your giant monstrosities eradicated?"

The Premier shot back, his voice dripping with venom and sarcasm. Nikolai was a different Premier than Cherdenko. Calm, collected and cunning, he preferred to use methods that were considered unconventional by the Soviet standards.

Despite being built like a bear, had a bushy beard and was about 1.98 meters (6.6 feet) tall, he llooked like a Russian stereotype. Headstong, straightforward and arrogant.

But looks proved to be deceiving, an unpleasant surprise for both Tatsu and Bingham.

"Gentlemen please, this isn't the time to reopen old wounds. We have to think about the future of our countries. We cannot keep fighting over spilled milk like children."

Field Marshal Bingham, the ever diplomat tried to defuse the tension between the Emperor and the Premier.

Both of them looked at the old British military man with a glare that could melt metal faster than an Imperial tankbuster's energy shot.

"How can you say such things when you allowed FutureTech to develop the sigma harmonizer, most esteemed field marshal Bingham?" the premier asked.

"Hey, that is not..." Bingham tried to retort.

"Silence you arrogant savage! The russian may be honorless, but you are the most disgusting piece of filth to ever corrupt this planet. How long until that evil company would spread its magic to Japan if it was allowed by your pathetic submissives?" Tatsu nearly screamed.

Everyone stayed silent for a few seconds.

The guards, two allied peacekeepers, two Soviet conscripts and two imperial soldiers were standing still, silently watching the scene unfold. Everything looked hopeless, like the next world war would start in a few days after the summit.

"Well, i suppose we should get ready for the next war Steve." Said one of the peacekeepers to his friend as quietly as possible.

Bingham however heard him and turned to his direction, along with Sokolov and Tatsu. Sergeant Gregory Shepard suddenly went rigid as a board and wished he kept his mouth shut.

But instead of being chastised by his superior, Bingham gestured him to come closer:

"Can you please come here son?"

Shepard gulped, but obeyed the order.

"Yes Sir?" he asked with as much courage as he could muster.

"What is your name?" Bingham asked Shepard with his usual calm voice.

Shepard brought his right hand to a salute and answered:

"Sergeant Gregory Shepard, 6th peacekeeper corps, 3rd brigade, B company, 1st platoon, reporting for duty sir!"

Shepard recited like he did countless times before to his superiors, never imagining he would ever answer to Field Marshal Bingham, let alone Premier Sokolov and Emperor Tatsu.

"Why you believe that another war will occur son?" Bingham asked.

Shepard stood silent for a moment, and then started:

"Well, to be honest sir, i believe there is too much bad blood between our factions to ask for peace just like that. If there is no peace, there is war. Simple as that."

"So you believe that peace is impossible?"

asked the Premier.

"That's not what I said uhhm, Premier Sokolov..." Shepard nearly said commie, but managed to control himself "...I just said that words aren't enough."

"What do you mean by that?" asked Tatsu, slighty calmer than before.

"I just believe, we need some sort of grant gesture. Something that could smooth the relasionships between us." Shepard answered.

The three leaders started to contemplate in deep silence. Finally, the Premier asked Shepard:

"What exactly do you propose?"

AN

I know, boring intro, but i think it's important for character development and to secure the flow of the story without leaving gaps. Feedback will be appreciated, bad comments or insults will be ignored.


	2. Party time: Part 1

1st September 1977

Island of Mykonos, Greece

Shepard, now without his peacekeeper uniform and wearing a tuxedo and tie combo, couldn't feel more anxious in his entire life. He fought and survived so many battles, Brighton beach, Cannes, Gibraltar, Tokyo harbor, even Leningrad in the mission to capture former Premier Cherdenko, who was now frozen in an ice cube along with former General Krukov and other prisoners of war. But nothing was compared to what he proposed to the three most powerful people in the world.

"What happened Shepard? Afraid of parties and people?" his friend and partner in crime Steve Brody teased.

He and Shepard were together since 12 years old. Together at school, together at the army, together at the peacekeeper corps. Now, after 15 years, together they organised a party for the aforementioned powerful world leaders and the rest of their high command. Everyone was there.

The Soviet Premier brought Commanders Oleg Vodnik, Nikolai Moskvin, Zhana Agonskaya, Vera Belova and the leader of the Soviet Underground resistance, Dasha Fedorovich herself.

Emperor Tatsu's commanders also followed, Kenji Tenzai, Shinzo Nagama, Naomi Shirada, Takara Sato and intelligence officer Suki Toyama.

Commanders Warren Fuller, Giles Price, Lissette Hanley and Lydia Winters accompanied Field Marshal Bingham.

All these people were sitting on the high table, a bit of an awkward situation. They were talking between their own compatriots mostly.

"Come on now comrades, this is supposed to be a party. Were is the fun and laughter? And the vodka?" Oleg nearly shouted, trying to alleviate the situation.

"Is food and drink the only thing in your mind you commie bastard?" commander Fuller interjected.

Oleg laughed and then teased:

"Ohoho, if you had brown hair, you would remind me of my wife. Always teasing, but I put her in place, hah." and did the slap animation.

"What woman would marry a fat barbarian like you?" commander Nagama asked, voice full of contempt.

"At least he has wife. You are still virgin."

commander Moskvin teased.

Commander Hanley smirked and tried to put more fuel in the fire:

"Is that why you carry commander Kenji around like that? He's like the son you'll never have?"

All the Soviet and Allied commanders laughed, while Shinzo silently fumed.

"Ahahaha, I like you little girl." Oleg said between laughs. "Are you interested..."

"Not in a million years red." Hanley cut him short.

The atmosphere was lighter and happier between the lower officers and party guests. Allied and Imperial engineers sharing blueprints, ideas and thoughts on technology, soviet conscripts drinking and playing cards with allied soldiers, spies trying to sweet talk imperial archer maidens into dancing together, with level of success from face slap to near acceptance, and imperial soldiers doing target practice by throwing ice cubes at glasses and bottles. Shepard saw a drinking contest between a javelin soldier and a flak trooper with many betters shouting, an arm wrestling match between a tesla trooper (without his armor) against an imperial tankbuster, also with many betters gathered around and also the guards he met in the summit three days ago.

"Steve, how the fuck did I manage to do it?"

Flashback, two weeks ago...

"What do you propose?"

Shepard thought for a bit and finally answered:

"What else unites us, except war?"

Suddenly, one of the conscripts said:

"Oh, oh, drinks and food!"

Everyone turned to the conscript's direction.

"Uhhm, did I say something bad?" he asked nervously.

Shepard said:

"Hey, that's it! A big party with drinks and food could work perfectly!"

"Are you sure about that sergeant?" Tatsu asked.

"Well, everyone likes a big party with food and drinks, right?" Shepard said.

"We often let the soldiers drink in order to, how is the american saying? Blow off steam?" asked the Premier.

Bingham was in deep thought, but finally answered:

"Yes, a big event like that could work. Something that unites us other than war."

"Sir, with all due and respect, you should also invite some lowly soldiers like us, to gauge the reactions." Shepard interjected.

"An excellent suggestion, lieutenant Shepard. Your mission is to organise a party that successfully brings a ceasefire. Do you agree Emperor Tatsu and Premier Sokolov?" Bingham announced.

"It could work." Sokolov said nonchalantly.

"Alright, I am willing to give you a chance. One chance." Tatsu said seriously and showed his index finger:

Shepard was in complete shock:

"Uhhm, sir, th.. this is a bit sudden. Lieutenant a.. and organise a party..."

"Don't worry son. You will have help. You. Will you help lieutenant Shepard at his mission?" Bingham asked Steve.

"Uhhm, I'll try my best sir." Steve stuttered.

"Brilliant! Now gentlemen, is there anything else..." Bingham asked the other two leaders, only to be interrupted by Sokolov.

"I will not allow this event to be organised only by these two. You and you. You will help these soldiers to organise it. Do not fail." He said pointing the two conscripts,

who were both shocked beyond imagination.

" The Empire will not tolerate not having a say to this situation. Imperial warriors, your Emperor demands you to work with these gaijin to show them how the work is done!" Tatsu said to his subordinates.

Despite the initial shock, the imperial soldiers answered in perfect unison:

"As you command Emperor!"

"It is settled then. You are given a blank check and two weeks time to complete the mission.Do us proud." Bingham said, exiting the room with Tatsu and Sokolov following.

The six soldiers were left inside the room, fully armed and armored, completely dumbfounded and awkward.

"So, when do we start fellas?" Shepard tried to break the ice.

He earned a whack on the head by Steve who said:

"Hey, pull your shit together man. We have to introduce ourselves first. Also, FUCKING LIEUTENANT? What the hell?"

"My name is Nikita Kirlov, this is my friend Anton Levedev." said the conscript who gave the idea to Shepard.

"Imperial warriors Hiroshi Nakayama and

Katashi Miyoshi."

"Pleased to meet you all, I am sergea.., ehm, lieutenant Gregory Shepard, this is my friend and partner in crime, sergeant Steven Brody."

"So, any ideas?" Steve asked everyone.

Nikita raised his arm and said:

"I stand by my original idea, we need drinks, strong like vodka. And vodka."

"Bah, sake is a lot better than your paint thinner." Katashi interrupted.

"We have a much bigger variety. Whiskey, rum, absinthe, vermout, gin, tequila and the list goes on." Steve added.

Shepard, to defuse the tension said:

"Hey, we should bring everything so that anyone can choose whatever he wants. And personally, I always wanted to try sake. Vodka I tried and I like it, but something new is always appreciated."

"Hmph, maybe there's still hope for you barbarians. To show good will I'll try your beverages too." Hiroshi answered.

They were all talking about specifics, details, decorations. Only Anton was quiet, thinking about something.

"Hey Anton. Why are you not talking?"

Nikita asked his fellow conscript.

No answer.

"Is he always like that?" Shepard asked Nikita.

Suddenly, Anton rised from his chair and shouted jubilantly:

"Aha, i got it!"

Everyone looked at each other and they asked at the same time:

"What?"

"The location for the party!" Anton said.

"Where?" asked Shepard.

"The island of Mykonos. Think about it. Perfect location, neutral ground, relatively untouched by the war. It's the best location, yes?"

"Where is this island?" asked Katashi.

Shepard, smiling slightly said:

"Greece."

AN

The plot thickens. How will six soldiers who just met each other cope with a mission that doesn't demand to shoot each other? Maybe there's another plan in motion? Or it's just a desperate leap of faith by the three leaders?


	3. Party time: Part 2

1st September 1977

"To answer your question Steve, I never imagined of doing something like this, let alone with two Soviets and two Japs helping me, so my nerves are a little fried right now." Shepard told his friend.

"Aww Greg, I'm crushed! You're saying I was useless?" Steve said, feigning hurt.

Shepard chuckled and answered:

"Sampling the drinks isn't really helpful pal."

After a few laughs, Shepard said:

"Come on, let's find the others."

Finding Nikita and Anton proved really easy. They were engaged in a loud discussion with an allied spy and a guardian tank commander over which kind of beer was the best.

"Nothing like a Bavarian Bamberg beer for a night like this." said the allied spy.

"Are ye kidding ye pricked gobshite? Irish dark beer is the best of them all in this God's green earth!" shouted the tank commander.

"Russian rye beer. End of discussion comrades!" Anton retorted.

"Sorry for cutting this discussion short, but I need to take these two with me." Shepard said, while grabbing both Nikita and Anton.

Finding Katashi and Hiroshi was a bit more difficult. They were on the rooftop, throwing knives at fruit. While the fruit were midair. In low visibility.

"Ah Shepard." Hiroshi slurringly greeted, holstering the knives he was holding."I managed to hit eight out of ten targets while drunk. Try to surpass me if you can."

"Liar! You only hit four! I counted them!"

shouted Katashi, who also appeared completely inebriated.

"At least they look like they have fun. That's progress." Steve said.

"Yes. They are better than before. Remember what happened six days ago?"

Nikita asked Steve, who obviously cringed.

"Godamnit, don't ever talk about that. Never again!" Shepard nearly shouted.

Flashback, six days ago...

"Alright fellas, the place is approved. The event will occur in the island of Mykonos, Saint John beach, in the local estate in ten days, 1400 UTC, 1700 local Greek time. Steve, Nikita, are the supply orders correct?"

Shepard was in full drill sergeant mode. No one dared to cross him that time.

"Yes sir!" both of them shouted at the same time.

"Katashi and Anton, is the building safe and secure?" Shepard asked.

"War bears and attack dogs searched every inch on the ground. Combat engineers secured tunnels and built underground bunkers in case of emergency." Anton said.

"Surveillance burst drones are searching the whole area 24/7. All the civilians are temporarily rellocated until the event is over. Allied snipers and Imperial shinobi warriors are around the area. Nothing passes undetected." Katashi answered.

"Hiroshi. Is the building and the catering ready for the event?" Shepard asked.

"Imperial and Allied engineers made sure that the structural integrity, the lighting and the plumbing of the building are in perfect condition. Decorations were brought from every corner of the world to make every faction feel welcome inside. There is enough room for 200 people and the catering services have people competent, capable of speaking English, Russian and Japanese and discretion is guaranteed." Hiroshi finished.

Shepard nodded his head and said:

"Alright, good job everyone. Looks like there is something else us blockheads can do instead of waging war."

Everyone else snickered to the comment.

"Now all there is left to do is check the supplies, eh?" Steve asked, cunningly.

Shepard exhaled with annoyance:

"Just don't overdo it. We may have a blank cheque but that doesn't mean you can drink yourselves dead and just get away with it."

Steve was jovial:

"Don't worry lieutenant, it's just a cultural exchange. A few drinks between fellow soldiers. Am I right everyone?"

Nikita, Anton, Katashi and Hiroshi all nodded yes.

"See? Completely harmless lieutenant."

said Steve.

"Alright, let's go before I change my mind."

Shepard finally answered.

Two hours later...

"And that's why you should never give vodka to a war bear." said Anton.

Everyone laughed at the story. They were all completely plastered, empty bottles around them.

"How the fucking hell did you manage to make that bear drink?" asked Steve.

"Haha, simple my friend. I swapped the labels between 'bear food' and 'morale provisions'. The bear went completely berserk. It crashed into my commissar's tent while he was busy jerking off. Easy to say, he wasn't very pleased." Anton said.

"Hahahaha, not pleased? I never heard so many curse words in only one minute. Even our dreadnaught captains aren't that foul mouthed. You were lucky no one saw you doing what you did. He would throw us both in the gulag after that stunt."

said Nikita.

"At least he deserved it. An officer who doesn't gain the respect of his men is not worthy of his command at all." added Hiroshi.

"Do you have any war stories lieutenant Shepard?" asked Katashi.

Shepard wasn't talking for a bit, like he was contemplating something.

"To be frank..." he said with a grave voice

"...I'm tired of this war. I'm tired of fighting and tired of watching everyone die."

Everyone looked at him confused. Shepard suddenly stood up and shouted:

"THIS WHOLE SHIT IS REAL FUCKED UP! EVERYTHING! THIS GODDAMN WAR BROUGHT ONLY DEATH AND MISERY TO ME! I lost five of my original platoon in Brighton beach! Three more in Cannes! Six in Gibraltar! And the rest in Leningrad!

Later, I lost both my brothers in the Yucatan islands. Both dead from Soviet grinder tanks! This isn't war, this is a godamned massacre and I'm sick to fucking death by it!" Shepard finished his rant and sat down, beer bottle in hand.

Everyone stood quiet for a bit.

"You're not the only one who lost lieutenant. We all lost friends and comrades." Nikita tried to console him.

Hiroshi called: "A toast to the fallen."

and raised his glass.

Katashi continued: "May their sacrifice never be forgotten."

The rest raised their glasses and Steve said: "I'll drink to that."

They clinked glasses and drank.

"Hey, who has cigarettes?" Shepard asked.

Everyone pulled out a pack each.

"Alright, let's have a smoke and get back to work." Shepard ordered while pulling out his own pack.

Everyone obliged and lit one cigarette each. Unknown to them, there was a lot of pooling liquor on the floor. Flammable liquor.

" Hey Greg, maybe we shouldn't smoke in a room full of flammable alcohol?" Steve asked Shepard anxiously.

"What?" asked Shepard.

Suddenly, the whole room erupted in flames. The six soldiers barely had time to bolt out of the room, dazed by the smoke and the alcohol in their veins.

"FIRE, FIRE, BRING SOME GODAMNED FIRE EXTINGUISHERS FOR FUCK SAKES!"

shouted Shepard.

Ten minutes later...

"All the hard liquors are burned lieutenant.

We need to buy new ones." Steve gave his report. A few engineers were already gathering the burnt wrecks and repainting the walls.

Saying Shepard was pissed would be a collosal understatement. He looked ready to snap at a moment's notice. However, he tried to keep his cool.

"Anything else damaged?" he asked, his tone hoarse

"The fires are extinguished and the damage is slight. But we need to buy new liquors if we want the party to succeed" Steve added.

"We have no time Steve. It took seven days for express delivery and there is only five days left." Shepard answered and sighed.

"There's only one solution left Steve."

Shepard went to the phone and called a number he had years to use.

"Lieutenant McKenna speaking."

"Hey Eva, I need a favour."

AN

Lieutenant Eva just made her appearance. What is her past relationship with Shepard? Are they just friends, or maybe something else? Find out at the next chapter.


	4. Party time: Part 3

1st September 1977

"Haha, why Don Juan, sensitive subject?"

Steve snickered, along with the rest of the company.

Shepard wasn't humoured. Not one bit.

"Keep laughing buddies. You'll laugh yourselves to death."

" Hehe, ahem, lieutenant, in all seriousness, how did you get tangled with that luster?" Anton asked curiously.

"Yeah, what is the story behind the girl with the luscious cans?" Nikita added.

"I don't want to..." Shepard started.

"Please lieutenant, it can't be as bad as Katashi's case." Hiroshi said.

"Hey! You promised..."

"That I wouldn't tell it to the commanding officer or fellow soldiers, I didn't say anything about the Allies or the Soviets." Hiroshi finished.

Shepard thought for a bit, then sighed:

"Alright. I'll bite. If you tell me your story, I will share mine too."

Katashi started:

"Well, I was stationed in one of our island fortresses. Nothing to do, no archer maidens or rocket angels, complete and utter boredom."

"Wait, you didn't bend for a male, right?"

Steve interrupted.

This earned a laugh from everyone, except Katashi, who angrily retorted.

"Silence you ape! No, I didn't! But the only female in the whole fortress was one of Yuriko Omega's clones."

"So what?" everyone, except Katashi and Hiroshi exclaimed. "Wait, you didn't..."

"Yes, he did! He screwed a Yuriko clone!

It was both awesome and insane but he succeeded!" Hiroshi happily exclaimed.

"Buuuuut, no one could predict what happened next." He continued.

"Come on, what happened? Don't leave us hanging!" Nikita said impatiently.

Katashi grunted and continued:

"The clone went completely berserk in the middle of our contact. It started shouting, shaking and moving stuff at random! I ran away and fell to the sea butt naked!"

"It's true. I fished him out after he fell, that exact time, the clone exploded! It was crazy!" Hiroshi said jovially.

Everyone belly laughed to the end of the story, even Katashi himself.

"Okay lieutenant. Could you please share your story now?" Hiroshi asked.

"Alright. It started out like this..."

5th February 1971

Hereford, United Kingdom, Peacekeeper training facility boot camp.

"Alright fellas! We earned twenty-four hours leave because we're the best. So let's party with caution and civility!"

Lance corporal Shepard announced to the 1st platoon.

A pause...

"WHAT ARE YOU DILDO FACED FAGGOTS WAITING FOR? LETS GO GET DRUNK AT THE PUB!"

A roar...

"HOORAH!" exclaimed the rest of the 1st platoon.

In only five minutes, everyone was at the gate in civilian outfits, bathed and waiting to get out.

"So Greg, ready to lose at darts?" Steve teased Shepard.

"In your dreams private."

They both shared a laugh and got inside the pub. After a few short hours, the whole 1st platoon was in full party mode. Some singing the anthem and insulting communism and japanese imperialism, others playing darts, pool or cards and others engaged in drinking contests or arm wrestling.

Both Shepard and Steve were dizzy as fuck, laughing at the whole debacle that unfolded in front of them.

"Now all we need is to get a girl for you and we're all set Steve."

"Wha? You mean that you can get any girl you want buddy?"

"Any nice girl in this pub I can get!" Shepard claimed.

"Prove it then hotshot! That gal over there!" Steve said pointing at a young blonde at the bar corner. She was very beautiful, a real allied poster girl in the flesh. Shepard was a bit awestruck, but with the alcohol suppressing his inhibitions, he wouldn't back off from the challenge.

"Fifty pounds I'll get her laid in a few hours Steve." Shepard offered a wager.

"You're on Greg."

Against all odds, Shepard managed to pull it off.

The name of that woman was Eva McKenna and she was an intelligence officer working at the same base. She took a shining at Shepard and they did it many times in a six month period, even at her office inside the military base. Until that fateful day came...

"Lieutenant McKenna, connect me with commander Gil... CHRIST ALMIGHTY!"

was the voice of Field Marshal Bingham, looking through the communication camera to the half naked forms of lieutenant McKenna and Lance corporal Shepard. The first one suppressed her urge to scream and covered her body as quickly as possible, while the other bolted out of the window, which he smashed as he barreled through it. Right under it were a lot of rosebushes.

Back to the present...

"... I found Shepard running towards our barracks, completely naked, screaming and covered in thorns. It was the funniest thing I ever witnessed. Some of the thorns were even stuck to..." Steve, who was finishing the story, laughing at some points, was interrupted by Shepard, who had the scariest look anyone ever saw.

"If you finish that sentence, I'll cut your fucking nuts of Steve. Comprende?" Shepard said with a serious, toneless voice.

The four others stood silent for a bit, then broke in uproarious laughter. When they were out of breath, Anton said:

"This was the most hilarious thing I've ever heard!"

"Our lieutenant has some serious guts!"

Hiroshi added.

"Wait, that doesn't explain how she helped us with the drinks. What was that favour you asked?" Nikita asked.

"Simple. He told me to make contact with some local breweries in exchange for an invitation."

Everyone turned to the source of the voice and saw a blond woman in a white dress...

"Hello Eva. How are things?" said Shepard.

AN

I know. The intro is boring. But it is almost over. The end is near and at the second next part, the real story begins.


	5. A better tomorrow?

1st September 1977

"Hello Shepard. It's been quite some time. Also, everything is fine, thanks for asking."

Lieutenant Eva McKenna said with a lustful tone, hips slightly swaying. The white, and pretty revealing, dress she was wearing gave pause to the 6 friends, even some of the other people around. Wolf whistles and jealous looks from everywhere.

"Daaaamn Greg. You lucky son of a bitch."

Steve said.

"Would you mind if I borrowed her for a bit?" asked Nikita, only to get whacked on the back of his head by Anton.

"Let the lovebirds figure it out jackass."

Shepard ignored everything, staying focused at Eva.

"Good to see you again." Shepard confessed.

"Yeah, I guess it is. So, what now?" Eva said nonchalantly.

"Well, we try to help the three most powerful people in the world agree to a complete ceasefire. Which reminds me, did you bring the special?" Shepard asked.

This question brought a mischievous grin at Eva's face:

"Aww, only business and no pleasure lance corporal?"

"It's lieutenant, and pleasure has to wait. This is too important to screw up. You remember that morning, right?"

Eva just grinned wider:

"Awkwardness aside, I had a good time darling. Didn't you?"

"If you think crashing through a window, falling in a bunch of rosebushes and being stuck in latrine duty for two weeks is a good time, then yeah. I had a really good fucking time." Shepard said angrily.

Eva just said:

"Don't worry. When the sun rises, everyone will be happy and you'll get your reward."

"Hey! What about the rest of us? Don't we deserve a reward?" Nikita asked.

Eva approached and told them all:

"Just watch the fun that will unfold and find one for yourself."

With that, she turned and left, leaving everyone, except Shepard completely dumbfounded.

"What was the meaning of this?" Hiroshi asked.

Shepard showed his crew a small bottle, which was filled with some sort of liquid and said:

"Gentlemen, we worked very well together these past two weeks. Hell, I can almost consider you friends, just like Steve. But, like our respective leaders said, we cannot fail. This little bottle is the ace in my sleeve. One drop at each of the high command staff will do. Trust me."

"How exactly you propose we do that?" Katashi asked.

"Did your encounter with Yuriko shake something important in your head? We are the ones who organised this whole debacle. We have access to every room, foodstuff and liquor. All we have to do is..."

Fifteen minutes later...

Steve's idea proved perfect. The high command was already buzzed. They were having light hearted conversations, telling jokes and admitting the respect they held to each other.

Shepard and the others were sitting at a balcony, overlooking the whole scene, each one having a drink at hand, with Eva right next to Shepard.

"We brought honor to our families and countries this day. I am proud to call you friends." Katashi toasted.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, let's drink now."

Anton interrupted and took a swig of sake.

"Hmm, sake is good. Not same as vodka, but decent."

"So, what happens now? Hiroshi asked.

Shepard said:

"Now, we are going to have some fun."

"Finally. After organising this event, time to relax." Steve agreed.

"I think our illustrious lieutenant needs to be left alone with a certain someone, eh?"

Nikita said pointedly.

Eva smiled:

"Don't worry. Your commander will be safe with me."

A pause..

"WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? GO AND HAVE FUN! Lieutenant Eva will keep me company."

They all dispersed, each at different places, playing hosts. But everyone had the same thought in mind.

"What's gonna happen tomorrow?"

2nd September 1977

The next morning after the festivities. The whole place looked like a battlefield strewn with corpses. Some where sleeping on the floor, others on tables, only few were still awake, barely.

"Hehe, looks like everyone had a good time, right pumpkin?" Shepard asked Eva.

Their eyes travelled to the unconscious forms of the high command personnel, all of them in various stances. Oleg was hugging Lisette, who was wearing his beret, Moskvin was close to Takara, Tatsu was with Suki and the rest were sprawled around, some asleep on the floor, others on their chairs and Kenji somehow managed to sleep on a pile of discarded bottles, kegs and glasses. Only one person couldn't be seen.

"Wait, where is field marshal Bingham?"

Shepard asked.

"Right here lieutenant. Perfect outcome by the way."

Both lieutenants turned to face Bingham.

He looked a lot better than anyone else in the whole place, his uniform in perfect order and completely sober. He had that smirk on his face, like when he beat someone at a political game or something.

"I was well aware of the distrust that would exist between the high command.

While I was certain that the common soldiers would be tired from the prolonged warfare, you lieutenant Shepard correctly deduced that the pride of the high command would be a significant hurdle. Thanks to your special bottle, they set aside their grudges and admitted their mutual respect, something that will help significantly with the final objective. You should all be proud. In two weeks, you succeeded at what others would need years to accomplish." Bingham finished.

Before he could leave however, Shepard asked:

"Sir, why me?"

Bingham turned and answered, still smiling slightly:

"Because you were perfect for the role Shepard. You proved to be an accomplished squad leader both in wartime and in training, you are tired of war because it cost you so many friends and, regrettably, your brothers, you don't however hold any grudges to people you fought against, proven how you so openly cooperated with them. That's why I chose you lieutenant. You were the most suitable for the task. Now go. Have a good time with Eva. Let an old codger like me worry about the rest. That's an order."

Bingham finished.

Shepard brought his hand to a salute and answered:

"Aye, aye sir!"

Bingham left to tend to the others, seemingly satisfied with how the situation was resolved.

"You heard our superior Gregory, time to find ourselves a room and enjoy our time together." Eva ordered.

"Hey, let me watch how the rest of the top brass wakes up first." Shepard pleaded.

Well, that was gonna be a long day. At least not as bad as the previous ones.

AN

Finally! The boring stuff is done. See you next time.


	6. A bit of a history lesson

Post Uprising period

1st December 1977

Two months after the successful Mykonos event, more widely known now as "The tri-shot event", a ceasefire between the Allied nations, the Soviet union and the Empire of the rising sun is successfully signed by their three respective leaders, bringing the nearly one decade long conflict to an end. President

Gunther Mannix of the USA gave his now famous speech in the White House after the ceasefire agreement:

"This is a great day for America, the future generations and every man, woman and child of planet Earth. After a long, brutal and agonizing war, it finally time to let the guns fall silent and rebuild. The Allied nations and, by extension the USA, came to an agreement with the Soviet union and the Empire of the rising sun to end hostilities. There is no victor or vanquished. We are all free to choose a path away from conflict towards the betterment of humanity. Instead of researching new and gruesome ways of killing each other, we will research new technologies to help the preservation and advancement of humankind. To paraphrase a wise Japanese philosopher:

The thousand-mile journey starts with a single step. Today, we made this first step. Today, us a day everyone will remember for the years to come. Thank you for hearing me and have a fine day."

5th June 1981

The ceasefire agreement gave way to the Cairo agreement, which officially united the three powers into a loose alliance that permitted free trade, technology sharing and easier transit in the whole world. Despite initial arguments by military hardliners, most notably commander Douglas Hill, the amount of people who supported peace was larger. Soviet commander Oleg Vodnik in his speech admitted:

"It's pretty hard to shoot people with whom you had drinks and fun. I find it revolting to order soldiers who are fed up with war to kill those with whom they shared vodka and all these other drinks. Also, commander Hanley! I want you to marry me!" Everyone thought Oleg was just humourous. He wasn't. Lisette refused. End of story.

1982-1996

The agreement holds and gave room to researching and improving upon various avenues of technology. Economy was in an all time high and many nations invested in what is now characterised as the "Technology fever". Chronosphere technology became easier, safer and less cost-prohibitive for public use so that transit hubs deployed worldwide to serve the needs of the people. New terraforming methods were made possible thanks to FutureTech, the newly founded Sato Industries and the SESD (Soviet experimental science division). The first test occurred at part of the Saharan desert in 8th November 1992. It was a resounding success, turning the arid and inhospitable domain into a grassland. Nanotechnology became widely spread to construction and heavy industries, creating new buildings, vehicles and ships at an astonishing rate. Gene therapy, while expensive, was introduced by the SESD and made most genetic disorders and hereditary diseases easier to combat

and quality of healthcare and longitude increased by far.

1997-2002

The technological advancement came to a temporary halt due to concerns about the exponential growth of the human population. True, from 3,5 billions to 6,1 billions in just 30 years could cause serious overpopulation. The three world leaders desided to follow the ancient Roman empire motto: "Expand or die."

All inhospitable habitats were terraformed to create new cities in order to accommodate the increasing population.

23rd March 2003

The planning started for the enactment of Operation: Conquest, a joint operation between the three power coalition, now being called the Terran Coalition, and the leading world industries, FutureTech, Sato Industries and the SESD. The plan dictates the creation of a colony capable of supporting life on the moon. Thanks to newly discovered nuclear power and the development of the first operational fusion reactor, the Pathfinder-1 can move at 15% speed of light, carries advanced nanocores that are capable of using whatever matter is around them to synthesise the needed structures and the first terraforming spire, a device capable of changing an atmosphere's humidity, heat and even the gravity using advanced

chrono technology, nanosynthesizers and a tesla-fusion reactor hybrid, later known as the first spinfusion reactor, capable of producing enormous amounts of energy endlessly and without any need for maintenance.

1st April 2009

The Pathfinder-1 launched from the Vostochny Cosmodrome, destined for a patch of even ground, in the moon's northern hemisphere. The event was televised around the world and a record number of 4 billion watched the launch from their TV's while 25000 watched it live. Touchdown is expected in two hours.

1st May 2009

One month after the launch, Operation: Conquest proved successful. The terraforming spire made the whole surface of the moon suitable for life, under the condition it would stay active all the time. For safety reasons, iron curtains were installed to most buildings to protect from possible meteorite strikes. Nanomachines turned the lunar regolith in

fertile soil, acceptable for growing crops. The first colony, Frontier Gulch, currently houses 15000 colonists. It is expected to grow in size. Three military academies open to train soldiers in different types of warfare.

The SMACC (Space Marine Academy for Colonial Conflicts) which mainly focused in defensive warfare against possible extraterrestrial assaults, engineering, medicine, piloting, escorting, raids and ambush tactics became the standard corps for colonial defense.

The TNI (ThanatoNaut Institute) focused in more aggressive assaults meant to quickly and effectively secure hostile zones, use of combat vehicles, power armours (tesla "tesla coils and emp launchers", desolator type 1 "chemical spray and corrosion cannon" or 2 "rad gun and plasma beam", incinerator "flamethrowers and magnesium infused missile launcers" and juggernaut "dual autocannons and SAM systems") and other heavy weaponry.

The CISP (Combat Infiltrator Saboteur Program) trained individuals in stealth, infiltration, hacking, hijacking, exfiltration, appropriation, sabotage, interrogation and assassination. Utilizing the new optical camo suits, top of the line hacking devices, high powered explosives, collapsable gliders, EMP bombs and chrono dislocators, these soldiers where capable of getting anywhere, wreaking havoc and getting out undetected.

9th November 2012

Following the success of Frontier Gulch, a new mission is organised to colonize Mars. What no one expected was the discovery of an alien complex that was mostly intact, but about 50000 years old with no trace of life. Scientists rushed there and, with the help of advanced AI's

managed to decrypt multiple data caches.

Some of them included the existence and possible applications of Element Zero (Eezo), the mass relays, advanced technologies, biotics, translation software, the existence of the Prothean Empire and, in one journal, the reason of their extinction. The Reapers, a race of sentient machines harvested the Protheans and every advanced civilization about 50000 years ago for unknown reasons and then disappeared. The attack was enormous in scale and efficiency and, even though the Prothean empire spanned the whole galaxy, they were eradicated. However, it was discovered that the Protheans expanded in only this branch of technology, which made them dependent on eezo.

12th December 2012

Following the discovery of extraterrestrial life and the possible threat of the Reapers, Yuriko Omega suddenly appeared in the conference of the Terran Coalition, years after her disappearance, with a squad of what she later called her psychic acolytes.

"I learned about the threat humanity could be facing. If the Reapers are real, we must all prepare accordingly. While many have wronged me decades ago, I cannot let the son pay for the sins of the father. So, this is my proposal. You give me a piece of land on Mars so I can keep training more people with psychic potential. You will not be allowed to take them away for experiments or to turn them into living weapons. In exchange, I will share with you some of the psychic technologies I researched and discovered over the decades. Also, any of my students who wants to join the armed forces must do so willingly. And if you want to stop me..."

at that moment, Yuriko raised one hand

and made every participant hover about 5 feet midair while grinning evilly:

"... you are free to try, but the consequences will be most unpleasant."

10th January 2013

The new OPC (Omega Psychic Compound) is finally completed just outside the limits of the martian colony of Crimson Town. True to her word, Yuriko provided scientists with the research and notes she accumulated over the years, leading to the development of the psychic radar, various medicines and improved gene therapy methods, which were the reason Yuriko didn't age as significantly as she would. Some psychic acolytes volunteered at the armed forces and created the psychic commando corps.

Capable of telekinesis, telepathy, mind control and even pyrokinesis, the PC's are truly terrifying adversaries. To combat the possibility of psychic domination, the Terran Coalition developed anti-mind control headgear. Yuriko nonchalantly said when she learned about it:

"You are right to be afraid. But trust me. While I admit having humanity as slaves and toys would be fun, I was once in the receiving end. That's why I value freedom and independence and I want to protect it."

2014-2070

The possibility of the Reapers's return, send the military to an industrial frenzy. Mining for eezo to create new space warships took priority over colonization. The historical Eezo rush lasted for decades and many lost their lives fighting over claiming eezo deposits on asteroids, moons and planets. Now, the human population reaches about 12 billion on planet Earth and around 7 billion in the colonies. Terraformed planets and moons now include:

Planets: Mercury, Venus, Mars, Pluto

Moons: Luna, Mars moons (Deimos, Phobos), Jupiter moons (Io, Europa, Ganymede, Callisto), Saturn moons (Enceladus, Titan, Atlas, Dione, Iapetus, Mimas, Pallene), Uranus moons (Ariel, Oberon, Titania, Umbriel), Neptune moons (Larissa, Nereid, Proteus, Triton) .

All these colonies are connected via long range chronohubs for transit and through the new QEC'S (quantum entanglement communicators) for fast and secure communication between the colonies, Earth, military spaceships and civilian spaceships that could afford them. Because of the enormous infrastructure, it was deemed impossible to be efficiently managed by humans only. This gave way to the creation of non-sentient AI's. While smart, the non-sentient AI's don't possess free will which makes them perfect for managing administration duties without getting bored or demanding freedoms like the sentient AI's. The sentient AI's are the smartest of the bunch, possess free will and are considered equal to human beings. However, they answer to certain regulations:

1: Sentient AI's must pass through a maturity period to ensure stable behaviour.

2: Sentient AI's are required to bind their code to a certain motherchip which makes the copying, modification and any sort of tampering with the code impossible.

3: If a Sentient AI commits a crime, its motherchip can be removed from its mobile platform depending on the severity of the crime. In case of minor crimes, community service according to the law.

In case of a major crime or repeat offenders, removal from mobile platform for some time, depending on severity.

4: Sentient AI's otherwise possess the same rights and obligations as any other normal human being.

17th October 2071

A breakthrough in chronotechnology made the creation of chronoraptures possible. Chronoraptures allow objects to travel through empty space more reliably than standard chronosphere teleportation.

In combination with the new Element Zero cores, the first human dreadnaught, the TCS Bastion managed to cover a distance of 4 light years with destination the Proxima Centauri (roughly 25300 astronomical units AU) in only 20 minutes, which meant the Bastion moved at about 250 times faster than a standard FTL drive made as instructed by the Prothean archives on Mars, now being known as the Martian Archives, and roughly 375 quintillion the speed of light.

The news spread around the Sol system like a wildfire, the Terran Coalition leadership announced:

"Now, all that separates us from the rest of the galaxy are a few light years and some empty space."

1st December 2100

123 years after the Unification, it was discovered that Plutos largest moon, Charon, was actually a mass relay entrapped in thick ice. Despite the fact that a mass relay wasn't much faster than the newly developed chrono-drives, it was desided to melt the ice and find out what exists at the other end. After a few days, the Charon relay was ready to be used. First, the TC navy sent a probe. The probe was sent to the other side and, as it was written in the Martian Archives, there was another similar mass relay at the other side. This enabled the ability for humanity to expand at a lesser cost and risk than using a chrono-drive.

1st January 2150

At this point, humanity has a total population of 70 billion humans and 8 billion sentient AI's installed in mobile platforms, all shared across multiple planets, moons and space stations, possesses highly advanced and sophisticated technology, expertly trained military numbering in about:

SMACC corps: 1.5 billion humans, 250 million AI's

(Motto: This is were you stop.)

Thanatonaut corps: 1.6 billion humans, 200 million AI's

(Motto: They call it invasion, we call it urban renewal.)

CISP operators: 350 million humans and 50 million AI's in the combat sector,

550 million humans and 150 million AI's in administrative and counter-intelligence duties.

(Motto: God will judge our enemies, we are just the ones who arrange the meetings.)

Psychic Commando corps: 40000 humans combat ready.

(Motto: Just put a gun in your mouth and pull the trigger, saves us both the trouble.)

The newly introduced Biotic Legion:

35 million integrated to SMACC

45 million integrated to the Thanatonauts

20 million integrated to CISP

(Motto: We have some tricks in our sleeves.)

(Instead of exposing children to eezo, biology doctor Alexei Ivanof and Eezo researcher Antonio Morales found a way to directly infuse eezo in the nervous system without causing cancer or tumours. Psychological side effect, like PTSD, ADHD, OCD and insanity are still possible, but the worst physical side effects recorder are dizziness, nausea, insomnia and migraines.)

Finally, those who show extraordinary talent in warfare, go through the infamous Camp X. Trained from 18-21 years old by SMACC, Thanatonaut, CISP and, when applicable by biotic or psychic instructors,

this 6 year long course has one objective.

Bring the best of the best and make them even better. The fatality rate is 15% and the dropout 95% from what remains, but those that complete the training are assigned to the Hunter Division, the apex of the armed forces. Granted with great freedom and privileges, Hunters take the most dangerous and perilous missions that no one else is capable of completing.

Currently, there are only 652 Hunters in active duty.

(Motto: Boom, you're dead. Next!)

Total land forces: 4 billion humans, 550 million AI's

Ubernaughts: 5

TCS Alliance

TCS Coalition

TCS Union

TCS Terra

TCS Empire

350 crew members and 3 AI's each

(The crown jewels of the Terran Coalition navy. Each of the ubernaughts has a length of 3 kilometers, 2 decks to accommodate a maximum of 100 fighters or 20 frigates, six main guns (Spectrum cannons, magnetic accelerators, plasma launchers or tesla rods), capable of obliterating planetary bodies with one barrage, carrying the new nanocurtain shields that can survive 5 of said barrages, 500 broadsides, 1000 point defence turrets and enough room to accommodate 2500 soldiers, including their vehicles, power suits and weapons, also drop-pods for atmospheric insertions.)

(Motto: Ready to pull out your white flag?)

Dreadnaughts: 58

280 crew members and 2 AI's each

(The big brothers of the Coalition navy. With lengths between 1 to 1.5 kilometres, 4 main guns, nanocurtain shields, 350 broadsides, 800 point defence turrets, enough room to accommodate 1500 soldiers with their equipment and enough drop-pods.)

(Motto: Say hello to my little friend!)

Strikecraft carriers: 42

300 crew members and 4 AI's (excluding the strikecraft pilots)

(The long arm of the Terran Coalition navy. Lenght from 1.5 to 2 kilometres, 6 decks and maximum room for 750-1000 fighters or 150-200 frigates or 100-125 giga fortresses. 300 broadsides, 1000 point defence turrets nanocurtain shields and enough room to accommodate 2000 soldiers with their equipment.)

(Motto: Let's sweep out the trash!)

Cruisers: 175

200 crew members and 1 AI

(The epitome of weaponry, survivability and maneuverability. Lengths from 500 to 750 meters, 2 main guns, 250 broadsides, 400 point defence turrets, nanocurtain shields, a chrono dislocator made to quickly teleport the ship in short distances, enough room for 500 soldiers with their equipment and drop-pods.)

(Motto: Come and get it!)

Assault destroyers: 325

100 crew members and 1 AI

(Built for fast and aggressive action. Lenght from 250-400 meters, 1 main gun,

100 broadsides, 200 point defence turrets,

a chrono dislocator, nanocurtain shields, enough room for 250 soldiers with their equipment and drop-pods.)

(Motto:Hit, run then hit again!)

Frigates: 1000

Light variant: 20 crew members

Heavy variant: 40-50 crew members and 1 AI

(The fastest and stealthiest of the bunch.

Length from 100 to 200 meters, 1 main gun, 20-30 point defence turrets, a chrono dislocator, a stealth generator that masks emissions and hides the vessel from the visible spectrum, nanocurtain shields, enough room for 25-50 soldiers with their equipment and 1-2 vehicles for stealth insertion.)

(Motto: They won't see us coming.)

Fighters: 1-2 pilots

(Armed with 2-4 autocannons, plasma launchers, spectrum cannons or proton colliders and missile launchers, fighters are used to provide support to bigger warships or ground forces. Very fast and maneuverable, stealthed and capable of teleporting. Dangerous in large numbers.)

(Motto: Quantity is a quality of its own.)

AN

A bit of lore to the might of the Terran Coalition. Is it wrong that I almost feel sorry for the Reapers?


	7. First Contact: Part 1

3rd February 2156,

1930 SET (Standard Earth time)

TCS Cruiser Roadrunner

Captain Lana Kushner was in the middle of writing her reports. While boring, activating a mass relay and escorting 2 science ships with her 10 ships battlegroup (2 cruisers including her own, 4 destroyers and 4 frigates), there wasn't much to write. She just left the other captains to write reports and she just combined the facts into the final report.

"Brenda, situation update." she called to the ship's AI.

"The activation of the mass relay proceeds Captain. All systems across the ships nominal. The activation will probably occur at 6 hours from now." the ship's AI finished.

"Alright then, wake me up in six hours."

Lana ordered.

Brenda didn't breally like what she heard:

"And what if something happens while you are asleep?" she asked annoyed.

"Like what? An alien invasion?" Lana said jokingly, and went to sleep.

4 hours later...

"...Captain, wake up!"

Lana woke up, saw that she only slept 5 hours and asked:

"What happened Brenda?" trying to blink the sleep out of her system.

"The mass relay was just activated from the other side! The science ships had to retreat! We need you to coordinate the battlegroup!"

"From the other side? That means... Fuck! I just had to jinx it, didn't I?"

To say Lana was frustrated would be an understatement. All the time she was muttering insults, swear words and other words that even Brenda couldn't hear. However, she got to the command deck and managed to organise the battlegroup into, what in her opinion was, a half decent defensive formation, with the science ships behind them and ready to send a message to the closest Coalition military base. They all waited, with baited breaths for what would come from the other side. Half an hour passed and nothing came. The crew managed to calm down and returned back to their duties, joking and talking like nothing happened.

Lana catched some snippets of conversations:

"Did you see the match against the Wildcats..."

"Hey, when will you return my five bucks?"

"Man, I wanted to see what aliens looked like..."

"No, you have to execute the debugging second and then..."

Lana had enough of waiting and ordered the ship's communication officer, Oswald Perry, to get her in contact with the captains of the science vessels. He followed the order and soon, both captains were on the screen:

"Captains Morales and Cutri online ma'am"

he said.

Lana acknowledged him and stood in front of the holo projector:

"Captains, are you certain the relay was activated from the other side?"

Captain Cutri answered:

"We are completely certain about that. The activation protocol takes hours to kick in because most relays stay dormant for too long"

Captain Morales continued:

"Also, we cannot speed up the process because the results could be catastrophic.

The simulations show a high possibility of malfunction if we try to rush the reactivation."

"Alright then, how the hell was the relay activated from the other side then?"

Lana asked.

"Maybe it was remotely activated? Or whatever exists on the other side detected our efforts and doesn't want to use the relay?" Cutri proposed.

Lana pondered for a bit, then said:

"We will send a probe to find out what happened then. The battlegroup will hold positions and you two will do the same. If needed, I will go there with 3 more ships."

She closed the comm and issued the orders. Everyone did as ordered and a probe was sent through the relay.

The relay probe had an installed QEC for live communication and translation software in case of first contact with intelligent life. The very reason of the creation of the Terran Coalition, the rapid advances of technology, the acceptance of keeping about 7% of the population in the various army and navy branches and the funding of said armed forces with the best weapons, equipment and training revolved around the very thought of encountering intelligent, possibly hostile, life or, even worse, the Reapers.

"The first encounter must be perfect, for humanity's sake." Lana monologued.

4th February 2156, 0000 SET

"Captain Karn, an object just came out of the relay!"

XO (Executive officer) Abakor Sagparah informed the superior officer of the batarian destroyer Adek. Captain Karn Graksebar, an agent of the Hegemony, hid his true identity under the guise of a typical space pirate. He, along with his ship, his crew and the 2 other destroyers under his command, received a mission from his superiors: Open the mass relay so the Hegemony can expand under the nose of the Citadel Council. However, he didn't expect that someone else would try to open the relay the same time as him, let alone from the other side. Was it some new race that just found out about the mass relays? Or was it some species like the Rachni? He shuddered at the last thought.

"What is the object XO Abakor?" he asked

"The scanners show it is some kind of probe, don't know what type or make.

It's propably some new race."

Abakor answered.

Suddenly, the probe started to emit some kind of signal. Like it was trying to communicate.

"What is the probe's message?" Captain Karn asked the communication specialist Grafin Praf'kah.

"It is some kind of a data packet. Permission to download?" she asked.

"In an isolated system. We can't risk the possibility of virus infection or sabotage."

Karn ordered.

The data packet was installed to the computer, but did something no one excepted. It changed it's own code to suit the systems and adapt to the processes.

"Is this even possible?" Karn asked, equally awed and creeped out at the same time.

"No sir, not even the most advanced VI's are capable of something like this, unless..." Grafin didn't finished, suddenly too shocked to speak.

"Unless what? Spit it out already!" Karn said, his patience thinning out.

"It's... it's an AI! It already made a translation matrix in less than a minute!"

Grafin stuttered, too shocked for words.

Karn's 4 eyes went fully wide. An AI? Even the Citadel Council didn't possess such technology. Maybe this new race had a lot of tricks in their sleeves.

"Here I hoped for a typical illegal relay opening. At least it's not more Rachni or anything hostile."

he monologued.

AN

Wow! First Contact with batarian pirates. How will it go? Relatively smooth or shots fired? Find out soon.


	8. First Contact: Part 2

4th February 2156

0005 SET

Destroyer Adek

The AI flickered to life and addressed the surprised captain and his crew:

"Greetings, my name is Yolanda, I am talking to the behalf of the Terran Coalition. Could you please direct me to the leader of this vessel?

"I am Captain Karn Graksebar of the batarian Hegemony. What race do you represent?" he asked.

"I represent humanity and their government, the Terran Coalition. My job is to help facilitate relations between humans and other intelligent species. Would you be interested to talk to my superior?" the AI named Yolanda asked.

"You mean you never met any other intelligent species before?" Karn asked.

"No. You are the first. Everyone will be jealous when they learn that I was the one who made first contact. So, will you please talk with my superior?" Yolanda said.

Karn weighed his options. A new species with highly advanced AI technology and who knows what else could be a very useful ally, or at least a trade partner for the Hegemony. However, AI's where prohibited by the Citadel Council, and allying with a race that used them so freely could cause a galactic incident. But, the possible benefits and rewards outweighed the risks, so Karn finally said:

"I would like to meet your superior as soon as possible. Can she come through the relay with a shuttle to board my ship?"

"Excellent! I will send my captain the message immediately! I left you 3 translation data packs for our 3 most spoken languages. My superior speaks all 3 of them, but she prefers English. I also left you an etiquette data pack for appropriate behaviour. I took the liberty to make a copy of yours too..." she jovially said, only to be interrupted by captain Karn.

"Wait. How did you do it? The system you are in is isolated." he asked.

Yolanda sounded confused:

"It is?

Karn turned to the direction of Grafin, the communication specialist.

"The AI bypassed the blocks! The system didn't even detect the intrusion! There was nothing I could do sir!" she nearly screamed, fearful because of her failure.

"Please be lenient to her captain Karn. There wasn't really anything she could do. Your systems currently have 1538 bugs, 69 security flaws and 19 unsecured access points. Even one of our non-sentient AI's could bypass them with minimal effort."

Yolanda finished.

Karn was frustrated, so he did the most logical thing in his mind:

"Let's focus at meeting your superior. I'll deal with the rest later."

"In the meantime, would you like me to fix the issues?" Yolanda offered to help:

"No, no, thanks for the offer, but no." Karn said hastily.

4th February 2156

0030 SET

TCS Cruiser Roadrunner

Lana saw the whole scene through the AI's sensors hidden in the probe. The whole debacle and the data gathered showed her who they were dealing with. A corrupt government that funds pirates and slavers for profit, a Citadel Council in which this batarian Hegemony is a member only because of nessesity and an obsolete system of castes that allows slavery as something natural wasn't the most pleasant to deal with. She also learned about the Citadel, the other races, (asari, turians, salarians, krogan, hanar, elcor, quarian, drell, vorcha and the batarians themselves), gained access to star charts, ship classifications and many other useful intel. Finally, Lana concluded:

"Like taking candy from a baby. Brenda, get a shuttle ready and call Jason to tag along. We need to show these batarians what psychic superiority really is."

she said, a grin forming on her lips.

"Hohoho, they will have the shock of their lives captain." Brenda said amused.

She barely finished her speech, the doors slid open and Jason Peterson, the battlegroup's psychic commando, entered the captain's quarters.

"You require my services captain? I would be most pleased to assist with teaching these batarians a few lessons about humility." he said.

"I see your link is working as good as always Jason. Which means you already know what I know and the mission at hand."

Lana said, not appearing annoyed by the intrusion in her mind.

"Of course captain. You can count on me."

Jason answered.

"While I hate to interrupt you 2 lovebirds, the shuttle is ready to go." Brenda announced, her toned both annoyed and amused.

Brenda always liked to annoy couples that way. She claimed it was because infatuation could be counter productive for the crew. Lana however had just the thing to counter the smart-mouthed AI.

"Awww, are you feeling jealous Brenda?" Lana retorted.

"I can still report you both for infatuation you know." Brenda shot back.

""Then I would also have to tell about your relationship with a certain ensign Thomas, ain't that right? Unless you're just friends."

Lana said, smiling in front of Brenda's holoprojection.

Brenda huffed and said nonchalantly:

"Touché captain."

Both Lana and Jason laughed and went to the shuttle. After salutes were exchanged, they were on the way to the relay, ready to meet the batarians.

"So what do you think about our hosts, Jason?" Lana asked.

"Why ruin the surprise captain?"

"Why so cryptic my subordinate?"

"I keep the secret for your pleasure ma'am!"

4th February 2156

0050 SET

Destroyer Adek

"Captain, shuttle on sight!" XO Abakor announced.

Karn went from his state of thoughtfulness to full alert.

"Tell them to access docking bay 6. Get a guard detail ready. They may be only 3, but I don't want any other surprises. Escort them to my cabin and leave the rest to me."

Karn didn't want to appear weak in front of the humans. He studied the etiquette data pack and installed all the language packs to his omni-tool. He slightly raised his office chair slightly higher to show he was the boss. From the anatomy data, he saw humans had only one pair of eyes, so he could make them feel uncomfortable, which could turn the negotiations in his favour. He psychologically readied himself for the meeting and waited in his spartan, but well decorated office, with weapons, armours, cultural artifacts and a carpet which was old family heirloom. All in to make an impression to his guests.

Only if he knew how pointless all these preparations were...

AN

In the canon Mass Effect universe, we know the batarians as shrewd businessmen and tough negotiators. Captain Karn is no different. But how will he deal with a psychic commando, who can read him like an open book, and a no-nonsense captain of a Terran Coalition cruiser?


	9. Negotiations

4th February 2156

0100 SET

Aboard the shuttle, Captain Lana Kushner, psychic commando Jason Peterson with flight sergeant Handa Ikemoto on the stick were on their way to the mass relay.

"We hit the relay in 10 seconds captain."

Handa announced.

"5,4,3,2,1, now!"

The telltale lighting bolt, that transmitted the shuttle's mass to the relay hit dead center. All 3 of the shuttle's occupants felt a slight vertigo as they were transported to the other side at extreme speeds. It lasted for a few seconds and there, they saw the ships that belonged to these new aliens, the batarians. They were all destroyer class and looked like they could use some time for serious upgrades. Compared to the Terran Coalition's navy units, these propably couldn't handle an unstealthed light frigate.

"We easily sneaked their security systems, I can easily read their brain waves from here and their ships look like shit. Is it me or do you also believe that things are a bit too easy?" Jason asked, both amused and suspicious.

Lana contemplated for a bit and then said:

"They are propably making the same mistake as the Protheans. Over reliance in element zero and expansion in only one branch of technology. The same applies to the other races from what I saw through the probe. All these aliens wouldn't stand a chance against the Reapers. That is God's honest truth."

Lana concluded.

"With all due and respect captain, I personally believe we should not judge the aliens only by their technology. Maybe they have more potential than they even realise. We could use reliable allies in the coming war." Flight sergeant Ikemoto, the eternal philosopher, argued as politely as possible.

"You are not wrong flight sergeant. However, these aliens, according to our data, are a pretty mean bunch. Slavery and piracy aren't really the most honorable of businesses ventures now, don't you think?" Jason responded.

Lana, while she respected the opinions of her subordinates, didn't really have time for it. She was readying herself to deal with a bunch of aliens who, apparently, weren't really the best sort of people. In the data, she didn't find anything in the files that proved the guilt of that particular group of ships. This Citadel Council outlawed opening of relays, but that was considered a minor offence to Lana's mind.

"Your points are noted, but can you both please shut up so we can get busy with the task at hand?" she said.

Jason raised his hands in surrender and said: " Geez captain, just sharing thoughts about this whole situation."

"Captain, the batarians are hailing us!" the pilot interrupted.

"Put them through flight sergeant."

Lana answered.

He did as ordered and the connection was established:

"This is captain Karn Graksebar of the Adek. To who am I speaking?"

"This is captain Lana Kushner of the TCS Roadrunner. Permission to come aboard? We are 3 people on board."

"Permission granted. Docking bay 6. An escort will take you to my office. Leave all weapons you possess to the shuttle, you can keep whatever armor you wear."

Karn said, his voice professional and authoritative.

"Message received and understood. We are on our way." Lana answered and closed the comm.

After the line was cut, Jason started laughing uproariously.

"Hahahahaha, no weapons they say. Yes weapons I say! Please let me levitate a few of them, we could use a good laugh!"

Lana however had a retort for just this situation:

"I can leave you here and take Ikemoto if you want. I'm certain he'll do a fine job."

Jason's laughter was cut abruptly:

"Can't I even say a few jokes every now and then captain?" he faked being hurt.

They finally reached the docking bay and shortly after, Lana and Jason went to the decontamination chamber, with Ikemoto waiting in the shuttle. Half a minute later, the doors opened. They both saw 4 armed batarians, in full armor. One of them, probably the highest rank greeted them.

"Welcome to the Adek. We will escort you

to captain Karn. I see you followed our instructions and didn't bring weapons. Good to see humans have respect and manners."

he said.

Lana and Jason both tilted their heads to the left, as they learned from the batarian etiquette data pack, to show respect. The batarian guards saw it as a sign of good will and the guard who talked before resumed:

"I see you bothered to study what you received. I really hope an alliance could be created between us."

Jason psychic link showed him that he was truthful and shared his find, telepathically, with Lana. One minute later, they were in front of the captain's cabin. The door opened to reveal a four-eyed humanoid with chitinous, brownish skin, needle like teeth and completely bald.

The room was decorated with weapons and armor, most likely to show he was someone no one wanted to fuck with.

Jason shared through his mental link with Lana: (Gotta admit, he does try to make an impression. Too bad for him I already gained access to his mind. I see that he originally wanted to take humanity as a client state. Our AI spooked him, so he hopes for an alliance. Also, he is not such a supporter of his government. He considers slavery and the caste system obsolete and inefficient.) Lana silently acknowledged.

"Welcome to the Adek humans. You can remove your helmets if you want, the atmosphere is decontaminated."

Karn said.

Both Jason and Lana obliged. Jason revealed his jet black hair, angular, pale, shaven face and Lana her medium length brown hair and diamond shaped, tanned face.

Karn looked intrigued. He thought they looked like asari, but instead of tentacles they had fur on their heads, different skin colour and they were of different genders, male and female, just like the turians, the salarians and the batarians.

"I see you listened to not bring weapons on board. I'm happy that you respect me as the captain of the ship you are currently on. I believe we will get along well." Karn finished.

"Thank you for being a good host. Let's get down to business now, shall we?"

Lana said.

Karn smiled slightly and answered:

"Straight to the point I see. Well, I contacted the Hegemony and they are interested in contacting your leaders. My mission is to, as you say, build bridges so that we both get a good deal. Now, is there anything you want to ask?"

"Maybe a bit about your history?" Lana suggested.

"Very well. We batarians come from planet Khar'Shan. We are an oligarchic government which places high value to caste and social status. We have an embassy to the Citadel, but we don't let them boss us around as they please. So, if they say you should join the galactic community as a client race, do not agree.

They will turn you into a buffer state to protect their own colonies from pirates and slavers, without providing support in case you need it." Karn warned.

Jason found that the batarian was truthful, so he chose to play his trump card. He sent him his answer telepathically: (Don't worry captain Karn. We won't make it that easy for them. I find the fact that you didn't talk about your stance in slavery disturbing, but understandable. So...)

Jason swapped to normal talking:

"Let's talk until we reach an equally beneficial deal, okay?"

Jason smiled to Karn's expression of complete and utter disbelief.


	10. Time for action

4th February 2156

0130 SET

Destroyer Adek

Karn couldn't believe it. The male human talked directly to his mind. Humans were far more powerful than he ever imagined.

Advanced technology and psychics? He was lucky that he preferred to stay as truthful as possible, otherwise the negotiations could go very wrong, very quickly. He knew that no matter what he thought, the human would know it before he even had a chance to explain, so he just went along with it.

"I see that you aren't the biggest fan of your government, slavery and the caste system. Maybe there is hope for you yet." Jason said:

"Also, a little fact about humanity. We also allowed slavery for thousands of years, but a few centuries ago banned it, both because it was cruel and because we found a more efficient alternative." Lana added, after she received everything Jason needed her to know.

Karn however wasn't satisfied. He wanted to know more, to understand:

"What better alternative?" he asked incredulously.

"Easy, automated labour and non sentient AI's. Unlike their sentient AI's counterparts, the do not possess free will or the abitity to think. Perfect for menial labour and completely ethical. Maybe, if an alliance is established between us, we could share our knowledge at the particular subject."

Lana finished.

Karn was already thinking the potential benefits. However, he couldn't just strike a deal like that, he was just a middle man. It was up to the Hegemony to decide.

"If I had a real say in the situation, I would strike a deal right here and now. But, as I am sure your second already read, this matter is out of my hands. I am just a messenger, the decision is up to my superiors." Karn said, his voice heavy and disappointed.

"If you want, I can use my special kind of persuasion, what do you say?" Jason joked.

Both captains said no immediately.

They all shared a bit of a laugh. Despite the gravity of the whole situation, ultimately it wasn't their decision, so no fucks given. Until an alarm sounded...

Captain Karn asked for a report, mere seconds after the alarm sounded.

"What is the problem XO Abakor?"

he asked.

The voice that belonged to the XO was anxious and distressed:

"A turian patrol is coming! At least 30 ships! We can't stay here! Orders captain?"

Leave it to the turians to screw everything up. Just perfect the captain thought.

In front of a recently opened mass relay and a bunch of trigger happy turians after them. The day certainly became more and more interesting.

"We have to get to the other side. Staying here is suicide." Karn ordered.

""Sir? Are you sure these humans can keep up with the turians?" Abakor asked.

"Trust me Abakor, from what the humans showed me, they will do a lot more than that. I almost feel sorry for the turians."

Karn calmed him.

So, all three ships went to the relay, the turian patrol on their tail.

4th February 2156

0200 SET

Turian cruiser Fortitude

"We have them in our sights admiral. They will be in range in about 15 minutes."

Admiral Desolas Arterius thanked his XO and sat down to his chair. The intel he was provided from his superiors were accurate. Batarians opening mass relays, ignoring the laws of the counsil and endangering the whole galaxy. While he was doing his duty, like any good turian, he did feel a bit of satisfaction for enforcing the Council law. And also because he held a grudge against batarians.

"Sir. They are heading towards the relay. They are attempting to use it. Shall we continue pursuing?" he heard his XO call again.

"Keep pursuing. They are not escaping."

Desolas said, his voice cold.

2 minutes later, the 3 batarian ships executed the relay jump. Desolas didn't want his targets to escape:

"All stations, ready to jump through the relay, weapons ready."

Everyone acknowledged the order. If only Desolas knew what was waiting on the other side...

0210 SET

Cruiser Roadrunner

"This is captain Lana Kushner speaking. We have hostiles approaching from the other side of the relay. The 3 destroyers that we came with are friendlies. Ready the guns and the missiles. When the hostiles come, engage only on my say so."

Lana gave the orders to the battlegroup.

After she heard the affirmatives, she opened the tactical holographic interface that allowed her to effectively micromanage the military assets. Destroyers, including the batarians because Karn didn't want to just watch, in the center, flanked by the cruisers and frigates. Good old fashioned pincher move.

"No reason to worry so much Lana. You saw that their technology is terrible compared to ours. We just need to scare them shitless and be done with it." Jason tried to reason with Lana.

"This just came straight from the top brass Jason. If these turians shoot, we shoot back. I'll give them a chance to surrender, but otherwise my hands are tied. If they want to fuck with humanity, it's their funeral. We just arrange the meetings with whatever they worship." Lana answered, emotionlessly.

"Damn." Jason whistled. "This I gotta get on a t-shirt."

Later, the turian fleet finally arrived. 40 ships in total. 6 cruisers, 16 destroyers and 18 frigates. And it was open season...

0220 SET

Turian cruiser Fortitude

"Sir! The sensors detected ten more ships! They don't match any known type or make! A new race probably." the ship's XO said.

A new race. That complicated things. The hunt for batarians just turned into a first contact with another race. Nonetheless, he had his orders. Eliminate or capture the batarians who illegally opened the relay.

Besides, he had numerical superiority and the might of the whole turian fleet in one call if needed. There was no way he would buckle to this new development.

"Sir! One of the unknown ships is hailing us!" his XO said.

"Put them through sergeant." Desolas answered.

A few seconds later, the hologram of a asari-like creature was revealed. It wore military uniform and appeared to be the leader of the battlegroup.

"This is captain of the Terran Coalition Lana Kushner of the Roadrunner. You entered human territory without permission. You have 5 minutes to leave or we will open fire." Lana ordered.

Desolas was speechless. This human, as she called herself dared to threaten an admiral of the turian fleet? With a smaller fleet and likely more primitive technology nonetheless. While her bravado almost impressed him, he didn't react to threats lightly. He would give the humans a chance to surrender however:

"This is admiral Desolas Arterius of the turian fleet. Give us the batarians and you will be taken prisoners. I swear no harm will come to you. Come to your senses, this is not a fight you can hope to win"

Desolas refused. There, that would put the arrogant human to her place.

"So be it. My superiors ordered me to eliminate you should you refuse to retreat.

Only your ship will be left floating."

Lana said, an air of finality and disappointment on her voice as she cut the line.

"Sir! Four of their ships just vanished! The sensors can't pick them up!" his XO said.

Suddenly, 4 of his ships just exploded in brilliant balls of flame. None of the other enemy ships made a shot.

"WHAT IN THE SPIRITS NAME JUST HAPPENED?" Desolas asked, shocked by this sudden catastrophe.

0230 SET

Cruiser Roadrunner

"Ma'am, 4 targets destroyed. We are running stealthed. Permission to re-engage?" Captain Koslowski of the frigate Striker asked.

"Permission granted captain Koslowski. Good hunting." Lana said, then continued:

"All stations. Move to engage. Fire at will, leave only their lead cruiser standing. Captain Karn, you can sit back and relax if you want."

"And lose the chance to knock the turians down a peg? I can't in good conscience allow that captain. Just give me a target and my boys will take care of it." Karn said.

"Alright then. Sweep their frigates, leave the heavy hitters to us." Lana answered.

The turians used their mass accelerators, but the nanocurtain shields, the ultimate combination of nanoswarm and iron curtain technology, capable of both extremely fast replenishment and able to soak up nuclear warheads without breaking, weren't depleted by a single percent.

10 more turian ships were destroyed in less than a minute. Kinetic barriers were no match for spectrum turrets, tesla rods and plasma launchers. They cut through shields and hulls like they were butter.

The turians, despite their remarkable discipline, were in a state of disarray. Such destruction in so little time was something unheard of. It dwarfed both the rachni wars and the krogan rebellions in scale and efficiency. In the end, only the cruiser Fortitude remained, surrounded by both the remains of the destroyed turian ships and the enemies. A devastating loss without inflicting any casualties upon them.

0235 SET

Cruiser Fortitude

"Sir. They are all gone." the XO's voice was filled with dread and despair.

Admiral Arterius was devastated. All this loss because of him. That wasn't war, that was a massacre. 39 casualties by only 13 ships, which all survived intact.

"Sir, they are hailing us." his XO said again.

Desolas got out of his trance and ordered to put them through. After a few agonizing seconds, the human female from before showed up.

"I warned you admiral. Now they are all dead except you. I present you 2 choices.

Either you retreat and tell the Council not to ever come here again, or I blow you up to smithereens and send your carcass to them."

Lana warned.

Desolas didn't really gave a better choice:

"Alright captain. We will retreat."

He said with finality.

When he left, the human and batarian ships erupted in wild cheers. Everyone was alive and the turians were kicked out.

"Captain Lana, I want to thank you for saving my ships and crews and for giving a lesson to these turians. Any help I can offer to the negotiations is yours."

Karn congratulated.

"Thanks for the assist. I hope we work again sometime." Lana said.

They both exchanged handshakes, after Karn learned its meaning and he went back to Adek.

"So Lana. Now that we got some time to ourselves..." Jason started, only to be hushed by Lana.

"I have to write a new report Jason..."

Lana then smirked and continued:

"...later."

Jason smiled and they both headed to her quarters for some one to one.

AN

Finally! Fighty time, fighty time, fighty time, blood, blood, blood.


	11. The calm

8th February 2156

Citadel

Desolas Arterius really hated himself right now. His whole patrol fleet eradicated in a few minutes by inferior numbers with him being forced to retreat or die. A bad day for the Council and even worse for turiankind. But, it was his duty to report this this calamity, to warn against further aggressive actions. Anything to spare more pointless losses against a clearly superior and undoubtedly hostile new race.

"Admiral Arterius, the meeting already started. " An asari ushered him to the council chambers.

He was in front of the 3 most powerful politicians in the galaxy. He was supposed to be in awe. But he felt nothing.

"Councillors, I'm sure you want to learn what happened regarding the relay 314."

Desolas said, his voice heavy and neutral.

"Just tell us what happened admiral Arterius." Councillor Tevos ordered as gently as possible.

A dark, humorless laugh escaped his throat:

"What happened? Complete and utter destruction is what happened. 39 ship destroyed in less than 3 minutes. They left me alive to spread the message."

Desolas finished.

""What are you talking about? What message?" Turian councillor Quilio asked.

"A new species with highly advanced technology. They only had 10 ships but managed to annihilate our patrol almost completely. There were also 3 batarian ships that managed to make nice with these humans."

"What kind of technology? Tell us!"

The salarian councillor Zerok demanded.

"I have footage of the massacre. You can see for yourselves." Desolas said and opened his omnitool.

The footage of the relay 314 incident was truly a horrific sight to see. The councillors saw the spectrum cannons, plasma launchers, these terrible tesla rods and the

glowing red protective surface on the human ships. The most disturbing thing however was the apparent stealth capabilities of the human frigates, which destroyed 4 ships in a few short seconds. Such technology even the salarians weren't close at developing with all the backing of the Council and the humans did it alone. The councillors saw the catastrophe, Tevos with horror, Zerok with interest and Quilio with rage. When the footage was over, Desolas said:

"And do you want to know what happened shortly before the footage? The humans gave me a chance to retreat. I didn't take it and many paid for it."

"While the death of so many Hierarchy soldiers and sailors is regrettable, there was no way you could predict what happened. The real problem is what happens now." Tevos tried to bring the clearly distressed admiral.

"What happens now is that these humans must succumb to the might of the turian Hierarchy! No one kills our soldiers and gets away with it!" Quilio said, his voice angry and vengeful.

"ARE YOU INSANE?" Tevos nearly screamed at his proposition. "The humans can possibly be more dangerous than the rachni! They showed that they are willing to negotiate. Attacking them could be the most foolish move."

"Actually, it would be better to collect more intel about the humans first. We also have to look into their connection with the batarian hegemony. If it is true that they are allies, it could be problematic." Zerok recommended.

"Is the STG up to the task?" Quilio asked.

Zerok smiled and said: "Always."

All 3 councillors casted their votes and the final decision was:

"Until further information is gathered about this new species, their capabilities, government and their strength, we decide to use STG task forces to achieve this end. Under no circumstances anyone else is allowed to use the relay 314 until further

notice. The meeting is adjourned." Tevos announced.

Arcturus station, Terran coalition headquarters, LOCATION REDACTED

"Governor Grothan Pazness. What can you tell us about the STG?" Asked supreme admiral Steven Hackett of the Terran coalition.

"The STG, also known as the salarian special tasks group, is the intelligence agency of the Citadel. While they work for the salarian union, their services are used at a daily basis by the Council. They are very accomplished infiltrators and saboteurs, almost as dangerous as the specters. " he said.

"Thank you for the information governor. Now what do the other governors say about a potential alliance between humanity and the batarian Hegemony?" Director Yuriko Omega asked.

Somehow, Yuriko Omega succeeded at stopping her ageing, thanks to an unknown medical process and her psychic powers. Due to her experience and power, she was asked to become one of the five directors of the Terran coalition.

Every director is focused to a different department: Civilian, Colonisation, Armed forces, Intelligence and in Yuriko's case, Science. When an event that could affect all these departments occurs, in this case first contact and possible infiltration, the directors came together to Arcturus station in order to resolve the situation. In this case, their purpose was two fold. Create a working relationship with the batarian Hegemony and dissuade the Council from launching further offensives.

"The vote is unanimous for seeking an alliance with the batarian Hegemony. Governor Pazness, what decision do you and the other governors stand for?"

asked Mary DeWalt, director of the civilian

department and spokesperson of the coalition.

Grothan received the answer from his omni-tool and answered:

"The governors agree that an alliance would be beneficial, but they believe that something must be exchanged for all the information we provided you with."

"I propose an exchange of terraforming and medical technology. It is too early to offer more, but I believe turning uninhabitable rock planets into garden worlds is a very good deal, no?"

the director of colonization, Andrei Ivanov

proposed.

"You have such technology?" Grothan asked in disbelief, as the other batarian governors who heard through the holoprojector.

Andrei replied by showing him images of terraforming spires, also explaining how they work and other characteristics.

The batarian governors went into hushed conservations about this. They ignored the fact that Yuriko was a psychic and could hear through Grothan what they said. A smile formed on her lips, something that didn't go undetected by Gigiermo Espinoza, the director of intelligence:

"Let me guess, they will accept?" he asked like he already knew the answer.

Yuriko nodded, not bothering using her powers because she knew Gigiermo was so paranoid he always wore an anti mind control headset. Yuriko and a few other powerful psychics could actually overpower these headsets, but: "Why make him more paranoid?" she thought.

Finally, the batarians ended their discussion and Grothan announced:

"All the governors agree to an alliance, if you are capable of delivering your promises, we can part with more information about the Council, star charts and military support if needed."

"We agree to your terms. I hope to the long and fruitful cooperation between our species." Mary DeWalt said, shaking her hand with governor Pazness.

Director Wallace MacLeod of the armed forces, who was waiting until the resolution of the alliance, brought back the other important issue:

"Alright. Now that we are done can we go back to the hostile aliens situation? My boys had to see action since the Colonial Conflicts."

The Colonial Conflicts of 2142 lasted since 2145 and were the result of a triad of warlords who wanted independence

from Earth. While the goal seemed noble, these warlords started raids across other colonies to expand their power base, forcing the coalition to take action. The casualties were about 68 million people, 11 million sentient AI's and the bombardment of 7 habitable planets and moons. MacLeod was a commander for the Terran Armed forces that time. He successfully led 2 regiments of SMACC troopers into covertly building a military base right in the last stronghold of the 3 warlords and then built his forces undetected, until the thanatonauts came. The combined force managed to secure the major cities and capture the warlords in only 4 hours after the assault with minimal casualties. This earned him the position as director of the armed forces and war hero. Only problem, he was a bit war happy and had a notoriously itchy trigger finger. Combat was his life no matter what.

"Director MacLeod, while your enthusiasm is appreciated, attacking blindly is not the most wise move. We need to stop their infiltration attempts first and only attack if we are attacked. " Yuriko said.

MacLeod huffed and slightly raised his hands in surrender:

"I am not saying we attack now. I just say that my boys need to blow off some steam. All these news of likely alien invasion will send them to a frenzy. That's what I am saying."

"CISP will make sure that the infiltators are all rounded up, tied, gagged and send to the Citadel in a shipping container. Rest assured, thanks to the science director, the new and improved psychic radar won't let anyone pass undetected.We will then send our own to monitor them and install spying software to the Citadel, their houses, their leaders and their planets."

Director Espinoza assured.

"It's all settled then. All issues have been dealt with. Let's get back to work now."

said director DeWalt.

Everyone agreed and in 30 seconds the meeting room was empty. Only Yuriko remained, thinking about this whole situation.

"We are going to need a hero. Both for humanity and alienkind." she monologued and left the room.

AN

Next chapter: STG vs CISP, place your bets to the winner. Tip: The CISP


	12. Before

15th March 2156

"We are closing in the relay. Activate stealth systems and disable all transmitters." STG operative Yonum Maban ordered. His orders acknowledged, he sat back and let his mind work over the data he was briefed at. A new race with unmatched technological capability, seemingly little regard for alien life and very likely allied with the batarians.

The Hegemony, as usual, denied everything but the STG knew better. Governor Grothan Pazness, one of the Hegemony's more open minded and less xenophobic officials, disappeared from his post in Camala for a few days, then suddenly returned. No ships were detected carrying him which only left one possibility. A stealth spaceship, like the ones humanity apparently used.

"Captain, we are entering the relay in 30 seconds." said the XO, a young salarian operative.

"Alright, double check everything, take no chances." Yonum ordered.

In 30 seconds, they reached the relay and passed to the human side. There was a small patrol fleet, 10 ships of unknown make, definitely human. What was weird was that there were also 3 destroyers of batarian make. Probably the batarians who helped the humans destroy admiral Arterius's patrol, Yonum thought.

Suddenly, a beeping sound was heard:

"Captain, one of the human ships is hailing us! How is this possible?" said the young operative.

"Calm down everybody! It's a bait! There's no way they could see us in..."

Yonum's orders were cut short however when 3 human ships headed towards them, like they knew exactly were to look.

Right that time, the comm activated by itself, without authorization, to reveal an orange hologram of a human dressed in strange, black, high-end looking clothing.

"My, my. Such uncourteous guests. At least the previous five ships had the decency to answer my call."

All the salarians were silent, trying to figure out what was happening.

"Oh, pardon me, where are my manners?

My name is Arthur and I am the AI of the Terran Coalition destroyer Griffin. Now, we are aware of possible infiltration attempts by STG and you are the sixth. Could you please lead your fine vessel to the Griffin's docking bay 3? I promise you no harm."

"Men! Fall back to the mass relay!" shouted Yonum. Arthur's hologram frowned and said:

"I'm afraid I cannot allow this to happen."

Then, he hijacked the navigation systems of the small stealth craft and started leading it towards the human destroyer. The crew tried and failed to stop the AI, which only sighed from disappointment.

"Gentlemen please. You efforts are pointless. I disabled every manual reset failsafe and all consoles are locked. You are just tiring yourselves for no reason. I said no harm will come to any of you. Just sit down and relax. I can put some music if you want." Arthur said and put a classical song to the loudspeakers.

That seemingly did the trick. The salarians stopped tinkering and waited to see what humanity had in store for them. One of them, Kirrahe, the young salarian who was

Captain Yonum's XO found the courage to talk to the AI.

"Arthur, would you mind if I ask you some questions?" he asked the AI.

The AI turned and smiled:

"Of course not. Anyone who has good manners is aces in my books. What do you want to learn?" he asked jovially.

"What is the title of this song? I never heard anything like this." Kirrahe asked.

"Ah, its title is 'For Elise'. It was composed by Ludwig van Beethoven 300 years ago. It's one of the most widely known titles of classical music in human space. Probably, one day, to Citadel space too." Artur answered.

"Indeed. It's very relaxing. If humanity is so culturally advanced, why did you destroy that turian fleet in such a cruel matter?"

Kirrahe asked again.

"Well, for starters, captain Lana Kushner gave admiral Desolas Arterius a chance to retreat. She also warned him that if he attacked, only his ship would be spared.

He didn't listen, he went against an unknown enemy, us, and was defeated. While it seems cruel and barbaric, captain Kushner only kept her word." Arthur answered.

"Oh, I see. Is it possible to tell me how you managed to track us?" Kirrahe asked.

Arthur laughed and said:

"That is classified. I worry about my job you see. However, you seem like a bright lad, so I will give you a little tip. If... you answer my question. What is your name?"

Kirrahe was confused to the question, but obliged nonetheless:

"My name is Kirrahe. My full name is a bit larger and is classified, so this is all I can give." he said.

"Thank you. This is the tip. An emission you cannot hide. This is how we found you and the previous five teams. This is how we will keep finding you, no matter how quick or stealthy you are. Now, anything else in your mind?" Arthur said.

After a bit more talk about various themes, they reached the docking bay.

The welcome party wasn't particularly violent, but who would dare to resist at these towering armored troops armed with chainguns, flamethrowers and other exotic weapons. The salarians were lead to a room filled with other salarians, a lot of them. It was true, every STG team sent through the relay was captured by the humans. None of them looked worse for wear, which means the AI was again truthful. However, being captured with such ease really mocked the STG, the salarian union and the citadel. It was a resounding defeat. This thought was in everyone's mind. A bit later came a human. He was unarmed, his body was wiry, he had black hair and piercing blue eyes.

"Hello, my name is Jason Peterson. I am your interrogator." he said.

He stood still for a few seconds, then gestured one salarian and said:

"Operative Kirrahe, can you please come with me?" he asked.

Kirrahe nodded and obliged. He followed the human named Jason, who was for some reason without backup, weapons or even armor. Kirrahe knew that an escape attempt would be either too easy or too difficult.

"I know it seems strange to you that I am unarmed and without escort. But trust me, I don't need any of that." Jason said.

Kirrahe was now even more confused. How did the human knew what he thought? Did he detect it from his demeanor or...

Then it dawned to him. Arthur's tip, the ability to understand exactly what anyone thought, Jason was a psychic, a mind reader! Right that moment, Jason stopped, a smile on his lips:

"Arthur was right. You really are smart. You will prove useful to us in the future."

he said.

"Okay. I've had enough mind games. Can you tell me what's going on?" Kirrahe said, a bit angry from this whole debacle.

Jason smiled even wider and said, his tone getting quieter and predatory:

"Simple my amphibian friend. I will fill your mind and the minds of your fellows with fake information, you will take it to your leaders and they will fall in our trap in Shanxi."

His tone was so calm, like he was talking about the weather. Kirrahe was so disturbed that he tried to run away...

only to be caught mid stride by an unseen energy.

"I forgot to say that not only I can read, control and modify minds, I can also move objects with my thoughts." Jason said as he brought Kirrahe back.

"What are you?" Kirrahe asked, both angry and afraid. Jason answered nonchalantly:

"I am a psychic commando. Now calm down and relax, you won't remember a thing."

Kirrahe tried and failed to scream as darkness claimed his mind.

AN

Looks like the Reapers don't have the monopoly in indoctrination and mind warping. But it's one thing to alter a few memories and another to turn living beings into husks. This was today's morality lesson. Ta ta.


	13. The storm cometh

27th March 2156

Citadel

"The STG infiltrators returned with a lot of information. The humans built a rather impressive civilization without any help and in very little time. They managed to make AI's that didn't revolt against them and actually helped. They possess technology that the salarian union didn't even dream off, doctors, engineers and scientists that put the republics to shame and a powerful, albeit small military. We want to get them as a client state and we all know full well that they won't play second fiddle unless they are cornered. It is decided then that an invasion force of 350 ships will be sent to conquer Shanxi and force humanity to accept our conditions. Their technology will be a great boon to the council and the whole galaxy. Are you in favour councillors Tevos and Quilio?" councillor Zerok asked.

"I believe a surprise invasion will show them we are not to be trifled with. Human blood will be spilled for the 30000 crew members who died in the 314 relay incident. Shanxi will burn and the humans will be put on their rightful place. Quilio said, his anger visible.

"All I can say is that you are both insane. The humans clearly want peace and you are going to invade them? It will destroy every attempt at peace if we pull this move. Let me send a peace envoy. The Terran Coalition will see reason and join the Council." Tevos tried to persuade the salarian and turian councillors to cancel the invasion. Unfortunately for her, the just wouldn't listen.

"Councilor Tevos, the humans won't see reason. The only thing they understand is violence. Besides, the STG reported that their navy does not possess any dreadnaughts and their army has centuries to see war. 20 dreadnaughts and 330 more ships will be more than enough to beat them into submission and force them to join us as a client state." Quilio dismissed Tevos's attempts of changing his mind.

"From the data the STG gathered, it's obvious that humanity wants to keep her sovereignty and technology to themselves. Even the batarians didn't get much from the deal. Only advanced medicinal practices and engineering experts to help the build better infrastructure. We must strike now because they don't expect us." Zerok said.

The 3 councillors voted. All were in favor of the plan. Councillor Tevos didn't approve of the plan, but she couldn't risk division between the council.

"I still believe it is a bad idea." she warned.

Unknown to the 3 councillors and all the armed bodyguards, 4 people were watching the scene unfolding.

"You have no idea how correct you are councillor Tevos." said one of them, smirking under his mask.

The same figure pulled out a transmitter and waited for it to activate:

"Command, this is Shadow squad. The council is making a move. We are sending all the relevant data." the nameless figure said.

"Data received Shadow squad. Keep watching and wait for the signal to begin phase 2." The voice in the other side ordered.

"Order received and understood. We will keep a low profile. Shadow squad out."

the nameless figure answered.

Relay 314, human side

Cruiser Roadrunner

Lana's duties took an unexpected change.

Instead of patrolling and babysitting scientists who were opening mass relays, she was chosen as an ambassador of humanity to the batarians. More like a babysitter for aliens, she thought. Not really knowing what to do, she tried to start what her superiors called a cultural exchange. That involved a lot of talking about art, history and other stuff she didn't know shit about. So, she chose to show the batarians human sports. After listening to captain Karn, who remained in the Roadrunner as an ambassador of the hegemony to humanity, about the batarian civilisation, their aggressive nature and strong bound to honor, she found just the thing to show the batarians.

"I bet 50 credits to Galloway!" yelled one batarian.

"No you idiot! Kozin is tougher, bet on him!" said another one.

"Hey! You drank my beer?" a human asked.

"Hey, stop pushing!" shouted another.

Lana decided to show the batarians sports. While they liked football, biotic ball, car racing and rugby, what they took a real shining was fight sports. Now, Lana, along with Karn and about 100 more humans and batarians were watching the boxing heavyweight match between Earnest 'The telegraph' Galloway and Vladislav 'Mad dog' Kozin. One human crewmember also had the bright idea to show beer and cigarettes to the batarians. Now the crew mess was filled with a bunch of drinking, smoking humans and batarians who were cheering and shouting when Galloway landed an uppercut right to Kozin's jaw, who slightly staggered but held.

"Well, that went better than expected. what now?" Jason asked Lana.

Lana, Jason and Karn were watching the whole scene from a balcony. It was pretty amusing, but as captain of the ship, Lana had to make sure things wouldn't get too out of hand.

"You humans have a good taste at sports. Boxing really is a fine display of strength, endurance and technique." Karn said while enjoying the match and a can of beer.

The trio sat quietly for a bit, sipping beer and watching the two boxers exchange punches in 3D TV. Suddenly, one heavy set batarian got in a heated discussion with a human crew member, the same one who gave them beer. Lana, who didn't want it to escalate further, went down there to calm the spirits, Jason and Karn following behind.

"You really think you're a better boxer you four eyed mook? Prove it then!"

the voice belonged to Zaeed Massani, one of the toughest son of bitches to ever enlist to the thanatonauts, but not much of a charmer. He was arguing with a batarian who Karn recognised as Abakor. They looked like they were ready to brawl with many humans and batarians around encouraging them. Lana was about to shout at them but Jason sent her a thought. She looked and smiled towards her direction and then she told the two arguing people:

"Gentlemen please. Why not settle this in the ship's ring? Prove who is the best."

she goaded.

Both Abakor and Zaeed looked at her direction, surprised to hear these words coming from the ship's captain. Quickly they both shook of their suprise and Zaeed said first:

"Because this jackass is all bark and no bite. I've seen pudding harder than him."

"Don't listen to this crusty old beaver. All he could beat is a child. Only if the child allowed it." Abakor said.

"Alright then you son of a whore. We'll settle this in the ring." Zaeed challenged.

No one paid attention to the TV anymore.

Everyone headed to the gym to see Zaeed and Abakor fistfight. A few minutes later, the gym was fully stocked with people. Everyone wanted to watch the first cross species heavyweight match.

"Ladies and gentlemen. It's boxing time in the Roadrunner arena. The match is between Zaeed 'The relentless' Massani and Abakor 'Four eyes' Sagparah. Place your bets in. You can't win if you don't bet!"

Jason announced like a referee, goading the crowd into betting and cheering even more.

"Front row seats are for betters only. Don't make us have to spank you! Hahahahaha!"

Jason continued.

Lana had to admit. Jason really had it in him. Even without his psychic powers, he really knew how to rally the crowds. Also, getting a cut from the profits helped to lighten her mood and enjoy the show.

"Alright fellas. I want a nice clean match. You know the rules so don't disappoint your fans. NOW, WHO WANT TO SEE BLOOD?" Jason said again, making the crowd go completely berserk.

Lana took her cue and shouted over the gym intercom: "Round 1, FIGHT!" as she hit the fire alarm, which she then closed.

The two fighters were really giving it all. Zaeed was tougher and more experienced but Abakor's four eyes and strength put them in even terms. As Zaeed landed a successful direct at Abakor's cheek, Jason said:

"Owww, that looked like it hurt!"

Abakor retaliated with a 1-2 combo strike, both hits catching Zaeed of guard:

"Zaeed is successful at being the puncing bag folks!" Jason said again.

After 6 rounds, both boxers were tired and bruised. Zaeed's right eye was swollen and he was breathing heavily. Abakor looked a bit worse, he had a cut over his left eyes and his right lower eye was also swollen. But, they didn't look ready to quit.

"Round 7, FIGHT!" Lana said and striked the gong. The two fighters went into the slugfest again, playing more aggressively than before. Hits were flying, some blocked and dodged and a few landing.

The crowd knew that the end was near.

But who would win?

"Are you all entertained? You better be, they bleed for your amusement, HAHAHAHAHAHA!" Jason goaded once again, raising the cheer of the crowd.

Finally, Zaeed had enough. He had enough of being punched, enough of the cheers and shouts and enough of that punk.

"FUCK YOU! RAAAARGH!" he shouted through his mouth protection. He landed several blows to Abakor, who was spooked by the sudden violence. 10 hits later, Abakor went down and Zaeed was still standing, raising his arms in the air as Jason was counting down:

"...7,8,9,10! THIS IS A KNOCKOUT FOLKS!"

He raised Zaeed's right arm high in the air shouting:

"The winner of this cross-species Slugfest is Zaeed 'The relentless' Massani! Let me hear it fellas!"

The cheers were nearly deafening. Even those that lost the bets were happy. It worked out perfectly Lana thought. Later, when the crowd dispersed, only Lana, Jason and Karn stayed at the gym.

"Here is your cut Lana, better luck next time captain Karn. No hard feelings, right?" Jason asked as he gave Lana a bunch of credits.

"No problem Jason. This may be the beginning of a new profitable business venture. The terminus systems are full of people who enjoy fighting and possess substantial amounts of credits. Cross-species slugfest could become a very profitable new business. I have a few contacts who can help. And if you retire from your army, I could use a good referee to rile up the crowds." Karn offered.

"That sounds good. One day, who knows." Jason answered.

Lana left, leaving the other two to discuss whatever they wanted, and returned to her cabin for some rest. She only slept for half an hour when the comm flared to life:

"Captain Kushner, an urgent message from high command just arrived." Brenda, the AI said.

Lana opened it and heard:

"Captain Kushner, the council is mobilising troops to invade Shanxi. 350 enemy ships will invade in 48 hours. Reinforce the Shanxi garrison until further reinforcements arrive." said the message.

Lana sat down to contemplate what she just heard. The council would invade after the previous defeat at her hands? They really were that stupid? Didn't they have any sense when to back off? Still, 350 ships and who knows what size of the coming invasion force, she had to follow orders.

"Shit." she huffed and relayed the orders.

AN

In the next chapter, we will learn why you shouldn't approach the desolators, why avoid the tesla troopers and also why anyone should empty his bladder before any fight.


	14. Shanxi invasion: Part 1

29 March 2156

Turian dreadnaught Hierarchy fist

Admiral Arterius wasn't at all happy with this invasion. Being forced as an advisor under fleet admiral Julrus Marthus didn't do much to ease his fear of the terran coalition and their technological advantage. He knew that even if they succeeded, many lives would be lost and total victory was uncertain. Councillor Tevos was right. No matter the potential benefits, attacking the humans without reason, only to conquer them, was very wrong, logically and morally.

"I see you aren't very enthusiastic about the coming battle." said fleet admiral Marthus.

Desolas turned towards his superior, his disdain clear as day:

"With all due and respect sir, but I believe this attack is wrong. Not because they defeated me, but now we are attacking them again just to force them to become a client state. I will follow my orders, but it doesn't mean I have to like this mission."

he said truthfully.

Marthus sighed and sat next to Desolas:

"I don't like it either Arterius, but orders are orders and we are expected to follow them. I appreciate your input nonetheless. Anything else I should know about the humans?"

"Well sir, there is one thing that is bothering me. The STG said that their fleet and land army is small and that they possess no dreadnaughts because apparently they have centuries to see combat. But isn't the fact that they sent 10 heavily armed ships to protect a relay opening suspicious? It's like they waited for something to come out from the other side. Also, their commanding officer, Lana Kushner, who destroyed my fleet commanded like she fought a thousand battles. She managed to separate and weaken our formation and made excellent use of these stealth ships. I don't care what the STG said, the terran coalition works like they are in full mobilization and high alert. I highly doubt they don't possess dreadnaughts and their army is complacent. I am certain they have an enormous army hidden and a fleet that could match ours. I'm sure that we are heading to a trap sir. This is what you should know." Desolas finished.

"I pray to the spirits you are wrong admiral Arterius. But no matter what happens, we will show them the might of the turian people. We survived the krogan rebellions, pirates and slavers and there's no way I will betray the memory of the fallen."

Marthus said.

"I also hope that I am wrong fleet admiral, I really do. Because if I am not, Shanxi will be painted blue from turian blood." Desolas said.

Shanxi, same time

"All the civilians are in the underground bunkers. 3rd, 5th and 8th SMACC trooper corps deployed defences, repair stations and trauma centers in strategic positions

and are garrisoned in all major cities. Thanatonaut corps Charlie, Lima and Quebec are battle ready and awaiting for further orders. Director Espinoza sent us CISP cell Cerberus and director Omega 100 psychic commandos. Director MacLeod sent the 2nd and 5th fleets under admiral Kastanie Drencher. They will arrive shortly. Overall, we have a strong land army, but not enough ships to rout the incoming turian fleet yet General Williams."

"Thank you Gerald. That will be all." Williams said and dismissed his AI assistant.

Williams sat down and did the numbers himself. Total land forces were 150000 SMACC troopers with 3000 tanks and walkers, 150000 Thanatonauts fully armed and armored, 5000 CISP operators, 100 psychic commandos. Not bad at all to stop the invasion force. The Shanxi defence fleet was consisting of 15 cruisers, 25 destroyers and 60 frigates. Also, captain Kushner's additional 2 cruisers, 4 destroyers, 4 frigates and 3 batarian destroyers. Total, 133 ships, no dreadnaughts or carriers. Which meant the incoming turian fleet was almost 3 times larger and the ground invasion force almost 2 times larger. Williams would have his work cut out fofor him.

"Gerald, send a message to the captains of all fleet assets. Tell them to avoid direct confrontation with the turian fleet unless ordered otherwise. What is the ETA of the reinforcements arrival?"

"Message sent general. Also, the reinforcements will come in 9 hours."

Gerald answered.

"Now we wait." General Andrew Williams said, putting his elbows on the desk and linked his fingertips together, waiting for the coming invasion.

Shanxi, Garrison 2B

"BY THE PILLARS! What are these things?"

Abakor yelped at the close view of Zaeed's desolator type 1 power suit.

"This is my power armor. Desolator type 1. These hoses spray a deadly liquid that strips flesh off the bone and later disintegrates them both in a few seconds. This cannon fires globs of corrosive material that melts metal, polymer and even ceramic into goop. The older versions were using nuclear waste, now we make the ammunition with special nanomachines."

"You really are a ruthless bastard, aren't you Zaeed?" Abakor said, used to his companion's terrifying demeanor.

Zaeed laughed and answered:

"Haha, flattery won't earn you a rematch junior. Try not to die and if we both survive... Oi, Tadius, we have any spare power suits around here?"

Tadius Ahern was the leader of the 6th platoon thanatonaut were Zaeed was serving. Being a no nonsense leader and a tough as nails bastard, made Zaeed treat him with respect. However, that didn't keep Zaeed from running his foul mouth and also completely disregarding proper rank and protocol, even in front of rear admiral Boris Mikhailovich, when he started shouting to his commanding officer, lieutenant Girard, and finished with the phrase: "Go and shove it up you ass you godamn pencil pushing turd!"

because he considered Zaeed too reckless for the thanatonaut corps. Tadius didn't mind his attitude as long as he got the job done.

"Yeah. Why you asking?" Tadius asked.

""Nothing. Just want to show this four eyed mook here our tools of the trade."

Zaeed said innocently.

Tadius didn't really buy it:

"I recommend a juggernaut or an incinerator. Easier to use." he said as he left.

"Hoohoo, it's your lucky day kiddo. You will wield a power armor. Come, I will show you where we can find one." Zaeed said and pulled Abakor from the hand. A bit later, they reached a warehouse that looked deserted. Inside where a few power armors on reserve. One of each kind. Just perfect.

"Like all thanatonauts say, pain and death come in many flavors. Which one you prefer Abakor?" Zaeed asked.

"Can you tell me what each of these do before I choose?" Abakor asked back.

"Well, ignoring the technobabble about power sources, circuits and and all that crap, the black one is the incinerator. Dual wield flamethrowers and incendiary missiles. A real tongue burning piece of engineering. You already saw the green one, the desolator type one, the red is the deaolator type 2. It utilizes a rad gun that turns anything it shoots into a radioactive pile. It can also contaminate the ground with lethal radioactivity. You can change the firing mode into the plasma beam to turn enemy armor into boiled sludge.

And last but not least, if you prefer the classics, the blue one is the juggernaut. Dual chainguns and dedicated SAM system. Sweeps the ground and the skies.

You don't have to worry about ammo or energy either. They possesses top of the line energy reactors and ammo assembling nanomachines. So, what do you pick?"

"Hmmm, I'll take the incinerator." Abakor chose.

"You are a bit of a psychotic arsonist yourself too huh? Excellent. I'll help you wear it and teach you the basics."

Zaeed said.

4 hours later...

Turian dreadnaught Hierarchy fist

"We are closing to Shanxi fleet admiral."

shouted the XO.

"All stations, get ready for battle! The humans killed 30000 of our fellow soldiers and compatriots. They will pay with blood and tears their sin. Shanxi will burn and humanity will learn to fear the wrath of the hierarchy. Get ready for war brothers and sisters in arms! It's time for war."

Fleet admiral Marthus ended his speech to rouse the turians to fight better. The resounding cheers meant it worked.

"Ready the guns for orbital bombardment.

When the troops get groundside, provide support only on their say so." Martus ordered further.

"Sir. The humans are hailing us!" the XO said.

Marthus was intrigued and ordered to put them through.

"This is general Andrew Williams of the Shanxi defence forces. You entered human territory without permission. Leave immediately or you will be destroyed." he warned.

Admiral Marthus was aware of the nerve these humans possessed, but to hear it with his own ears sent a chill to his spine.

"This is fleet admiral Julrus Marthus of the turian hierarchy. The destruction of our patrol at relay 314 won't go unpunished. Surrender or Shanxi will burn." he tried to intimidate the human general.

General Andrew 'I don't give a fuck' Williams didn't earn his nickname by being polite. Protocol demanded patience and politeness, even against enemies. But when someone ignored him or his warnings, the gloves were off.

"I tried to warn you metal faced cunt. Well, if you insist... papa spaaaank." he said in a joyous tone and closed the commlink. He turned to his tactical display and ordered his frigates to strike as many turian targets as possible.

Back to the Hierarchy fist

"SIR, WE HAVE MULTIPLE CASUALTIES!

WE CAN'T DETECT ANY ENEMY..."

someone screamed over the comm, which suddenly went silent.

Admiral Desolas didn't like that at all. Having to see so many more dying from these invisible frigates. It made him sick in the stomach. The strategist in him admired humanity's capacity of dealing death at such scale and efficiency, but it still didn't feel right.

He had to do something, anything to help.

There was only one solution:

"Fleet admiral. Please send me groundside. We cannot hit their fleet if we can't see them. We have to take Shanxi and their fleet won't be able to fire at their own planet. We have to beat them on the ground." Arterius pleaded.

"Alright admiral Arterius. The glory of victory or, spirits forgive, the consequences of defeat are yours."

They both exchanged salutes and each went to his position.

Shanxi, general Williams's combat center

While the frigates were successful at the most part, turian blind fire and overwhelming numbers managed to destroy 2 cruisers, 5 destroyers and 3 frigates. While inflicting about 30 casualties to the enemy, he just didn't have enough firepower to attack them directly. That let a lot of turian dropships land planetside intact despite the ground defences high volume anti air fire.

"Well, gotta hand it to the turians. They know shock and awe. Let's see how they can handle our ground forces." he monologued.

Shanxi, Garrison 2B

Abakor really enjoyed his time in the incinerator armor. Scorching turians and letting them die screaming in agony, trying to roll and extinguish the flames just put a smile on his face. Along with the 6th platoon thanatonauts, they were picking any turian unlucky enough to land close to them.

"Looks like I was right junior. You really are a deranged piece of shit." Zaeed goaded while spraying a turian squad that tried to take cover behind the wall. All except one were completely melted. The last one lost his right leg. Zaeed stomped on his skull to kill him.

"What can I say? I had the best fucking teacher... HEY YOU! MEET MY FLAMING FRIEND!" Abakor was interrupted by a turian who tried to tried to shoot him with a sniper rifle, only to take an incendiary missile to the face.

"...but seriously, thanks a lot. These suits make killing turians my favourite pastime."

Abakor finished, grabbing a flaming turian, who tried to crawl away, by the leg and throwing him on another.

"Say whatever you want, but if you really think you are the best, you are in for a nasty shock!" Tadius said as he shot a lightning bolt to what looked like a female turian, making her pop like a baloon. They all shared a laugh and continued killing turians, laughing and cackling like the madmen they were.

Shanxi, Garrison 6F

Sergeant Ronald Taylor of the SMACC corps was tending to a few injured civilians who didn't hide at the bunkers in time. He enlisted to help the building of new colonies and settlements. He didn't expect any of this. Despite his dislike of war, he focused, trying to heal a young boy with the new healing ray. Healing rays were a relatively new invention, made only 5 years prior, to treat frontline infantry. It worked pretty well so far and all the civilians were escorted to a safer location.

He had to survive for the sake of his wife. He would survive to teach his unborn son not to fall to the same mistakes he did.

In a corner he saw an injured turian soldier. He looked pretty bad, blue blood seeping from his abdomen. He tried to talk, but no voice was coming. Ronald knew he was the enemy, but leaving him to die like that was a mistake. So, he took the healing ray and pointed it towards the turian, who closed his eyes thinking he was about to die. To his surprise, a green ray jumped out of the nozzle, closing his wounds and allowing him to breath again. When he was finished, Ronald slapped a pair of handcuffs to the turian's wrists and

showed him a place to sit. They couldn't understand each other's language, but gratitude was visible to the turian's expression.

AN

This battle was long coming. I know, the final scene is a bit cheesy, but I don't consider humanity a bunch of ruthless killing machines, so here is Ronald Taylor who saved a turian but had the sense to take him prisoner.


	15. Shanxi invasion: Part 2

29th March 2156

Orbit over Shanxi

TCS cruiser Roadrunner

"Give it to them! These turians bought their own tickets to hell! We are just laying down the welcome mat!" Lana tried to encourage all the coalition ships using the comm. It looked like it worked for the most part. Her cruiser already destroyed 5 turian ships and the count was about to rise.

"Captain Lana, there are too many of them close to my ships! A bit of support would be appreciated." Captain Karn said over the comm. While he and his ships tried to help as well as they could, the turians really were out for them painting them as high priority targets. Still, they served as good distractions and allowed a couple of cruisers to cripple 5 turian ships and destroy 3. Still, the turian dreadnaughts were all present and accounted for and started to get their act together, forming a defensive formation and firing anything that got close. Even the stealth frigates didn't approach them because the turians started to blind fire against them, actually hitting a few of them. To make matters worse, they were getting in position for orbital bombardment, something that could seriously affect their defences and maybe even kill civilians in the underground bunkers, something that no one wanted to happen.

"Alright captain Karn. 6 frigates will give your ships some breathing room. Orders dictate we avoid direct combat and stay in two separate groups. Head to group A, most cruisers are there holding the line."

Lana advised.

"Affirmative captain, thanks for the assist."

Karn said.

"Another one down for the count captain! The Roadrunner is really one of the finest ships out there." the XO said jovially.

Lana nodded in acknowledgement, but she couldn't help thinking that the turians would try to attack the civilians. With enough firepower, they could level the bunkers and crush the civilians underneath. Their dreadnaughts possessed that kind of firepower, but no one could do anything until the reinforcements arrived.

Shanxi, grounside

General Williams's office

"General! They are bombarding us from orbit! We need fire support ASAP!" yelled a SMACC lieutenant through the comm.

"Hold your ground troopers! If the turians break into the bunkers, the civilians are done for!" The reinforcements are coming soon, just hold out a bit longer." Williams answered.

"Sir, enemy armor is trying to penetrate our lines! Permission to use heavy weapons?" another voice asked.

"Granted, we will just rebuild later."

Williams said.

Suddenly, he had and idea that might help his troops. He opened a comm and ordered:

"To all ground forces that are under orbital bombardment threat, light fires and blow up buildings. Create a smoke screen to scramble their sensors."

"Sir, with all due and respect, we will lose our cover against ground forces if we do that..." someone tried to complain.

"I don't give a fuck if we have to level every single structure! The turians will do it anyway to flush you all out! There is no way I'm losing Shanxi to them! NOW GET BACK TO IT!" Williams barked his orders.

He sat down to calm himself a little, then asked his AI assistant:

"Gerald, what are the casualties?"

"We lost 2 cruisers, 7destroyers and 4 frigates. Also, we lost about 9000 SMACC troopers and 5000 thanatonauts, most of them due to orbital bombardment. We have no reports of CISP or psychic commando casualties. The turians lost 10 cruisers, 24 destroyers and about 40 frigates. We cannot attack their dreadnaughts directly. Groundside, they lost approximately 85000 troops."

"What the hell are the CISP and the psychic commandos doing? Sitting on their asses?" Williams asked.

"Unknown general Williams. No contact has been established with them."

If general Williams knew what the CISP and commandos were doing, he would be a lot calmer.

TCS Cruiser Centipede

"Alright ladies and gentlemen, we have been tasked with taking out the dreadnaughts. We will infiltrate them using modified stealth drop pods, subdue the personnel, eliminate any resistance and turn their weapons against them. Each team will be accompanied by 2 psychic commandos. Any high ranking officers are to be captured. Any questions?" Captain Sebastian Shepard asked his subordinates. No one had anything to say so they moved out.

Sebastian Shepard, distant descendant of famed Gregory 'The peacemaker' Shepard was a career soldier, just like his mother, Delilah Shepard, veteran of the '3 warlords rebellion', and his grandfather Warren Shepard who revolutionised the thanatonaut corps with his new techniques. Now Shepard was the last of this family with the long military tradition.

Unlike his ancestors however, Sebastian preferred to join the CISP to become one of the most feared and efficient infiltrators. He preferred finesse and speed over strength and heavy armor.

Now, his task was to cripple the war waging capability over Shanxi. He wanted to consolidate his own legacy and this operation was the perfect opportunity.

"Ready to launch the pods captain." said one of the operators.

"Everybody ready?" Shepard asked.

He saw that everyone nodded and gave his answer:

"Alright, do it."

A few seconds later, the pods, 50 in number, were launched, heading to the cluster of turian dreadnaughts and cruisers. Each pod was filled with 18 CISP operators and 2 psychic commandos.

The rest of them would chrono teleport when their destinations were secured.

Each operator was armed with a silenced 12mm or .44 cal pistol, silenced 9mm or 5.7mm SMGs and some took either silenced 12 gauge fully automatic shotguns for close combat or, like Shepard, silenced 7.92 mm fully automatic carbine rifles. Unlike the rest of the galaxy, humanity declared the mass effect guns too combat ineffective and preferred to use newer versions of the WWIII weapons, modified with fully customisable nanoforges to make new ammo of various types, magnetic accelerators to make the bullets go faster and hit harder, customisable under barrel attachements and top of the line powered scopes. The energy weapons remained largely unchanged, only with decreased power consumption, lighter weight, higher damage output and increased range and penetration.

"Captain, 30 seconds for penetration."

Everyone tensed slightly and steeled themselves for the coming fight. They had the tools to get the job done, the training and the guts, but they were the first to board and hit aliens inside their ships.

30 seconds later, they penetrated the hull. Nano disassemblers ate through it with minimal effort and noise. The hatch opened and everyone got out. Shepard's pod boarded the Hierarchy fist. Fleet admiral Julrus Marthus was inside. And Shepard wouldn't stop until he claimed the bounty. Quickly and methodically, they sweeped every room, the psychics were detecting enemy brainwaves and the CISP were dispatching them one at the time. Quick, silent and invisible, like death himself, no one saw them or heard them, no one could notice anything suspicious. Later, the Hierarchy fist's lower deck was secured. 82 more CISP operators teleported in. It was time for a hostile takeover. Meanwhile, groundside,

the SMACC were still holding off the enemy forces. The smoke screen really worked, to a point, and made the orbital strikes less accurate and frequent. However, some turians biotics managed to penetrate their lines.

"SHIT! They found the bunker entrances! Don't let them get inside. If they reach the civilians they are done for!" shouted Lieutenant Jon Grissom to his platoon.

They moved to intercept the turian cabals.

Jon carried a Grummond 18 gauge semi automatic shotgun and a riot shield, sergeant Alec Ryder a VSK .408 cal automatic sniper rifle and a FN SS90 SMG. The others had an assortment of ADK 15's, Tenzai kinetic carbines, Moskvin flak cannons, spectrum chainguns, Muramasa plasma cutters, PKX machine guns and other weapons. They were, in total, 45 heavily armed and armored SMACC troopers ready for action.

"Alright gentlemen, focus fire on combatants only. I don't want any civilians to be caught in the crossfire. Pick your targets carefully and blow these turian bastards to hell." Jon Grissom said to the troops. They all answered with cheers and woops. They marched towards the bunker entrance to find it blown open. Fearing for what they would find inside, only a squad got inside to recon, including Grissom, Ryder and 3 more troopers. Surprisingly, the bunkers were completely devoid of life and no bodies where seen:

"Sir, there are footsteps leading outside the bunker, also drag marks."

Ryder managed to see them on a thin layer of dirt which probably came from outside. The footsteps were both human and alien. This only left 1 conclusion:

""The aliens took them, I bet my life on it."

Ryder added.

"FUCK! Where?"Grissom asked, frustrated.

"Sir, I captured a live turian before. Maybe he knows." said sergeant Roland Taylor.

The rest looked him with surprise written on their faces. A turian prisoner? How did he capture him?

"Where is that prisoner?" asked Grissom.

"I left him tied to a pole a few hundred meters from here. I can call an APC to bring him here." answered Taylor.

"Alright then. Get a squad and retrieve the prisoner. I will get translation software from the command. If he doesn't squeal, I'll make him talk." Grissom said, his face becoming angrier than before. Sure, the SMACC weren't as cruel as the thanatonauts, but turians taking hostages, especially civilians, was a low blow.

"Sometimes, morality must be sacrificed for the greater good." Ryder monologued.

Orbit over Shanxi

Turian dreadnought Hierarchy fist

"Negative sir. None of the other dreadnoughts are responding. No signals sent, no maydays, they just don't respond."

said the XO.

"Spirits, what is happening?" Fleet admiral Marthus asked himself.

"I can tell you what is happening fleet admiral." said a voice.

Marthus felt a chill passing through his spine. The voice was human. It didn't come from the comm, it came from inside the room. That could only mean one thing:

"All your ships, including yours, have been infiltrated. All crew members are dead or captured. If you surrender you live. If not..."

Shepard left the threat hanging as he decloacked himself, a smile behind his black mask with the red tinted tri-visor.

"How did you get inside? Who are you?"

Martus asked the black garbed figure in front of him.

"The first question I cannot answer. Secrets of the trade, see. My name is Sebastian Shepard. Now, what is your choice?" he answered.

Marthus tried to raise his assault rifle, which was holstered next to his seat. Before he could even touch it however, an invisible force grabbed his hand. He couldn't feel anyone touch his arm, it was like his hand was inside a piece of stone.

He was then lifted in the air, again the force doing so was again invisible:

"SPIRITS! WHAT IS HAPPENING?" he shouted.

Then, more figures decloacked, 2 of them were wearing yellow tinted lenses and wore black robes with grey torso, arm and leg armor. The edges of their robes were floating, like there was a ventilator blowing underneath, but no such thing existed in the room. They were doing strange gestures with their hands, stretching them towards him and his crew members, palms open like they were trying to grab them. The turians were levitated half a meter above ground, seemingly because of these two humans. No way they were biotics cause they were not glowing.

"Impressive, aren't they? These are psychic commandos. Spawned right out of satan's thorny, black asshole. They tear apart through anything, no matter the size or strength of the opponent." Shepard said at the terrified turians.

One turian tried to lift his gun when the commando holding him was slightly distracted, only to be shot in the head by Shepard:

"True, they are a bit untrained, but this is why they put a demented, insane whackjob like me to keep them safe."

One of the younger turians had something dripping off of his armor at the last comment:

"Don't feel bad junior. You were beat by the best. Now, decide your fate Marthus, I'm tired of waiting." Shepard said with an angry voice, his previous joyous tone disappearing.

"Alright, we surrender. Just don't harm my men. They acted under my orders."

Marthus begged.

"I act under orders too. My orders dictate that only the high ranking officers of the enemy are to be captured. Any lowly grunt is to be returned if he surrenders. Pleasure doing business and have a nice day." Shepard's calm demeanor returned. He moved out of hearing range and called general Williams:

"This is captain Shepard of CISP cell Cerberus." he said, only to be screamed at his ear by his superior:

"FINALLY! WERE THE FUCK YOU'VE BEEN? These alien bastards are attacking my planet and you sit down on your asses?" Williams said angrily.

"Sir, with all due and respect, me, my boys and the psychic commandos infiltrated their dreadnoughts, captured their commanding officer and forced him to surrender. You're welcome." Shepard said, his demeanor casual and business-like.

Williams was surprised at the news. He felt a weigh removed from his shoulders. With the enemy dreadnoughts out of commission and their commander captured, he could force the enemy to concede.

"Fine job Shepard. I will handle the rest."

Williams said and closed the comm.

He could finally relax for a bit.

Shanxi, Garrison 6H

"Where did they take the civilians Saren?"

asked Taylor to the turian he captured.

He learned that his name was Saren Arterius after he got the proper translator software.

"I appreciate that you saved me sergeant Taylor, but I can't betray my compatriots."

Saren said.

"Your compatriots took civilians as hostages. They will likely kill some of them because they are synthetic. So please help me, before they are marked as war criminals. They will be executed when they are captured if they do so. You can save their lives if you just help me." Taylor tried again to persuade him.

Saren was clearly divided by the sentiment. He would be called a traitor if he talked, he would be called a coward if his fellow soldiers and his brother died as war criminals. He didn't know what to choose, until his omnitool pinged with a message:

"This is fleet admiral Julrus Marthus to all turian forces. Surrender. It's over." said the message.

Both Saren and Taylor heard it. The battle of Shanxi was over.

"Well, that was unexpected. What now?" Taylor asked Saren.

"Now that the location is not a military secret, I can tell you. The location is in a plateau, 2 miles north from here. It's the place you called Garrison 5H. My brother, his men and the humans must be there." Saren confessed.

"Your brother? Admiral Desolas is your brother?" Grissom asked.

Saren nodded.

"That makes things easier. If your brother refuses to surrender, you could persuade him, right?" Grissom asked.

"I know my brother. He follows orders, even if he doesn't like them."

Garrison 5H

"Kill the syntetics and leave the rest alive."

said Desolas to his men.

They followed the order even with the human civilians screaming at them not to. Soon, a pile of robotic bodies was lying on the ground. The other prisoners were crying. Unknown to them all, a trio of thanatonauts saw the tragic scene.

"We must fry these bastards Tadius! Look what have they have done to these poor sods!"

Zaeed said, his voice slightly cracked.

"Zaeed, if we attack they will kill the rest of them too. We have to wait for reinforcements." Ahern tried to calm the angry veteran.

"It's true Zaeed. There is nothing us 3 can do. We have to wait." Abakor said.

Zaeed huffed and growled. He never liked being unable to do what he wanted. If that turian officer fell to his hands...

He didn't manage to end his thought when he saw a platoon of SMACC troopers approaching from the south.

"Finally, some godamn backup. I never thought I would be so fucking happy to see those damn leathernecks." Zaeed said.

The 3 thanatonauts met the SMACC's a bit later and told them the situation. While it was weird for them to see a turian among them, they relaxed when they heard he was a captive. When he heard about the execution of civilians, he really was horrified:

"Shit. Let me talk to him. This wasn't supposed to happen. We don't kill unarmed prisoners." he pleaded.

"Oh yeah? Tell that to that pile of dead people over there. They could use a good laugh." Zaeed said while pointing said pile.

"Enough! Let the boy do his job." Tadius finally cracked, something that Zaeed never saw before.

Saren went down and told them about the surrender and the release of the prisoners. Thankfully, they listened and dropped their weapons. Only Desolas remained. He looked at Saren with a mix of pain and disgust:

"How could you work for the humans Saren? You know you betrayed us all?"

Desolas said.

"Brother, what you did was wrong. We don't execute unarmed prisoners like that. Synthetics are considered equal to organics for them. Please, no harm came to me or any other turian after the order.

A human saved me from death. They may imprison you, but they won't kill you."

Saren pleaded.

Desolas didn't listen. He grabbed a rifle and shot the nearest prisoner, much to everyone's shock. Before he could shoot another, a green armored glove catched his arm. Said armored glove belonged to Zaeed. He squeezed hard enough to break the bones in Desolas's hand, who screamed from pain. Then, he lifted him in the air by the broken hand, grabbed his spray hose with the other, sticked the nozzle to the turian's mouth and said:

"Burn, you arse faced bastard." and pulled the trigger. Noxious fluid started dissolving Desolas, turning him into goop, his brother screaming as he watched. Zaeed discarded the remains of the molten corpse like a garbage bag and looked towards the now grieving turian:

"I know you consider me a monster kid. But it takes a monster to take out another."

Zaeed said as he left.

Saren was crying to his brother's remains, what little there was, sobbing in rage and anger. In his mind, only one word:

"Vengeance."

AN

Hoo boy. That took longer than expected. Many characters that belonged to the standard Mass Effect universe. Also, Sebastian Shepard will be the dad of Commander Shepard. Whoever guesses who the mother will be, I will include a custom OC of his or her own preferred characteristics, physical and mental (realistic boundaries please).


	16. One hell of a time

30th March 2156

Shanxi, General William's office

"Looks like we arrived late for the party. At least Shanxi is secured thanks to you general." Admiral Kastanie Drencher said to general Williams.

"Much appreciated ma'am. But still, from what I've heard, the brass still needs the fleets here.

I don't know why, but scuttlebutt says that a show of force can beat the last fight out of the council. I know I would piss my pants if I saw 200 ships looming over me, threatening to pound me into dust."

Williams humoured, earning a snort from Drencher.

"Well, at least we will look this Citadel up close. I heard the CISP infiltrated the Citadel and even their home planets. If the show of force fails, they capture their leaders and all is well." Drencher added.

"One thing that is bugging me however. How could the council be so stupid to just throw away lives like this? Didn't they think that the reports of their spies were too good to be true? Don't they even give it some thought before they act? Are they so arrogant? I just find it unbelievable."

Williams asked.

"They probably have years to fight large scale wars or they only fought against inferior opponents. Anyway, a win for us."

Drencher concluded.

"I would give my wage of the year to see their faces when they see the ACUTE looming over them. If we gonna show force, we gotta do it right."

Williams stated.

"Don't worry. If that's the case, I will find someone to record it on tape, we could use a good laugh." Drencher joked.

They both laughed at this.

Arcturus station, LOCATION REDACTED

The directors were discussing the results of the conflict and trying to figure out their next move. They found the council too arrogant to immediately make a peace offer, so they got over the data captain Shepard collected on the Citadel:

"So, from what I can understand here, the asari are the diplomats, the salarians the scientists and the turians are assholes..."

No one laughed at MacLeod's remark.

"..the main military force of the Citadel council. They also have a bunch of other client species, like the volus that are the main economic advisors. They also have elcor, hanar, drell and also our new best friends, the batarians. It also says something about krogan, vorcha and quarians here that I don't really understand." MacLeod finished.

"From what cell Ouroboros gathered, the krogan, native to Tuchanka, were once in the role of the turians. They were uplifted by the salarians about two millenia ago to fight against an insect race called the rachni. They eventually succeeded, but the krogan later revolted against their masters, who found the turians and eventually deployed a bioweapon called genophage, which sterilised them."

"Shit, some reward don't you think? But what's bugging me is why the krogan revolted." MacLeod said.

"Apparently, uplifting a warlike and culturally immature species is like giving a nuke to a child. While the krogan were successful at destroying the rachni in what is called the rachni wars, conflict was, and still is the only thing they know, so they started demanding more and more rewards for their help. The council refused and led to the krogan rebellions. With the bulk of their military against them, lo and behold they find the turians, who eventually beat the krogan, using the genophage, which affects their fertility rates. Only 0.1 percent survive birth because of it. It did stop the rebellions however and the turians got their seat on the council. Now they are the main military muscle." Director Omega explained.

"From what I understand, the rachni are the reason the Citadel banned the opening of mass relays. The reason of the AI ban however is because of the quarians."

Director DeWalt added.

"Ah yes, the quarians. A very interesting case indeed. They created a networked AI called Geth for menial tasks, then improved it to a level it became sentient. The quarians panic, they try to shut them down and the geth kill the quarians, leaving only a few million survivors.

Said survivors live in an assortment of spaceships, the migrant fleet, for about 300 years. The council refused them help, blaming them for being careless with the geth, then closed the quaria embassy and left them hanging..."

Director Espinoza huffed before continuing:

"...these conditions make the quarians skilled mechanics and engineers. But their weakened immune systems make them unable to settle other worlds except their homeworld, Rannoch. They are also dextro amino organics, like the turians. We could find allies to them if we play our cards right." Espinoza finished.

"I can arrange to terraform a moon into a quarian friendly word. Just say the word."

Director Ivanov offered:

"Only if they come to us. I find it doubtful they will come anytime soon, because of their hatred for AI's." Director DeWalt warned:

"What about the vorcha then? What is their role?" MacLeod asked.

"Short lived, aggressive, used mostly at mercenary bands. Not much known for the time being. Another issue is the terminus systems. A breeding ground for corruption and crime. Filled with the scummiest bunch. Pirates, slavers, batarians most of them, mercenaries, gangs and drug dealers. The only thing keeping them in line is Aria T'Loak, known as the pirate queen of Omega. I'll tell my boys to make a favourable deal with her."

Espinoza said.

"So, that leaves our coming negotiation with the Citadel council then, right? Because I want to see them piss their pants for what they did. I suppose the ACUTE would be most successful, don't you think?" MacLeod asked.

"Those in favour of sending the ACUTE along with admiral Drencher's fleets as a show of force for the coming negotiations

with the Citadel, raise you hands." DeWalt announced.

Everyone raised their hands.

"It is settled then. The negotiations will occur in 18th April. The ACUTE ubernoughts will make them more favourable to us. Anita Goyle will be humanity's ambassador should the negotiations succeed. Should the council try to make us a client state, we refuse.

If they refuse the peace offer, which I highly doubt they will, we close the borders and if the council tries something funny again, CISP will kidnap their leaders, both Citadel and species leadership. This meeting is adjourned."

DeWalt announced.

The directors took their leave, except Yuriko:

"Director Espinoza, a minute of your time please?" she called.

Espinoza listened and came, intrigued by what Yuriko had to say:

"Director Omega, what do you need me for?" he asked, straight to the point.

"Who was the CISP operator who captured fleet admiral Marthus and saved one of my acolytes?" Yuriko asked.

"Ah, that was captain Sebastian Shepard, one of the best. Why?" Espinoza said.

"I just want to thank him personally. Saving my acolytes, especially if a non psychic does the saving, deserves my personal gratitude. Can you call him to my office so I can talk with him?" Yuriko asked again.

Espinoza was slightly confused. This wasn't part of Yuriko's casual behavioural pattern. Espinoza always wanted to know how the others though and acted, Yuriko included. But this was something he never witnessed, the Director of science thanking a CISP operator. Maybe she wanted to get information out of him? Maybe she was truthful? What was her angle? Ultimately, Espinoza said:

"Okay, but he will wear anti MC headgear. If it comes out, I will know. Don't forget, I have eyes and ears everywhere."

Espinoza warned as he left.

Yuriko only smiled, half devilishly, half truly making Espinoza even more suspicious.

"Don't worry, nothing bad will happen to him. You have my word." Yuriko promised.

A few hours later, captain was in front of Director Yuriko's office. Still dressed in his battle gear, without his weapons except his ballistic knife and his old 8 shooter revolver. A 1987 Ruger Redhawk .357, while considered outdated and obsolete, it was family heirloom. It passed a total of 6 owners, family members including Shepard's mother and grandfather. Now, Sebastian Shepard was the proud owner of this old fashioned gun. While it looked ancient, he kept it up to date by upgrading the frame, the sights, the barrel and the ammo. Now, his gun was capable of penetrating the front plate of a tesla trooper and even some of the most advanced personal shielding devices with just one shot. Recoil was still a bitch though. Shaking his head to these old memories, Shepard knocked the door:

"Come in captain." ordered a female voice from inside.

Shepard opened the door and saw Director Yuriko Omega, hands behind her back, watching the empty space through her office's large window behind her desk.

"Director Omega, my boss said you wanted to see me." Shepard stated.

Yuriko turned to his direction and answered:

"It's true. I wanted to personally thank you for saving one of my acolytes. If you ever need some help I can provide, it's yours."

"Okay, thanks I guess, but I doubt you would call me to your office just for this."

Shepard stated again.

"Perceptive of you Shepard. And yes, I want you answer my question. What is your take to this whole alien situation?" Yuriko asked.

"To be honest, I prefer to leave the thinking to my superiors. I am just the guy who gets shit done. But, from this whole alien existence debacle, all I can expect is that we gotta make a good impression. For that, we need a poster boy or girl. Someone who gets shit done and looks good when doing so." Shepard answered, after a bit of thought.

"With one word captain Shepard, a hero. You know anyone who fits the profile?"

Yuriko asked.

Shepard was trying to remember soldiers who could fit the criteria. His name was well known in the ranks and yes he knew people. But only few names came to his mind that fit the profile and only one was alive:

"I know someone who may fit, lieutenant David Anderson. He is a promising candidate for the hunter division and one dangerous bastard, but he is also diplomatic and knows how to talk himself out of trouble. He could be the guy for the job. I don't know his current whereabouts, hunter training as you understand, but he was in Shanxi, survived against a platoon of turians alone, killing them all."

"Hmm, I see we think along in similar lines. I knew about Anderson, but I'm more focused for a future hero. As you are aware, the Reapers are coming and my estimations say they will come in about 30 years from know. Anderson will be a bit old that time, which makes him more suitable as a tutor for the hero I am thinking about." Yuriko said.

"Wait, what you needed my input for if you already know about Anderson? I'm not exactly a talent scout or whatever, I'm a CISP operator. My job is to spy, recon, sabotage, capture and eliminate. Like I said before, I prefer to keep things simple. So, will you please tell me what's going on?" Shepard asked, his patience thinning out.

Yuriko smiled at Shepard. It was a predatory smile, like she just saw a piece of fresh meat, something that made Shepard slightly nervous. His fingers started to inch towards his pistol's grip as Yuriko was walking closer to him:

"What's going on captain Shepard is that I found the perfect candidate. Someone who shares your name and military history, the tutoring that Anderson will provide and my powers. It is something you will help me provide for the fate of the galaxy." Yuriko said with an authoritative voice, slightly hovering almost a head higher than Shepard.

Shepard was a bit confused, until it hit him:

"Wait, you don't mean..." he stammered as he backed down, his eyes wide.

"Yes I do. I thought really hard about it and this is the most viable solution. Your military history and name, my powers and Anderson's tutoring will provide the galaxy with the hero we all need, not just for humanity, but the whole galaxy." Yuriko said, her voice serious.

Shepard was shocked still for a bit. Then he started laughing like this was just a joke. Seeing Yuriko's expression made him pause however:

"Oh my god you're serious." He stated as matter of fact.

Yuriko only nodded.

"Shit. I don't know what to think..." he started, just to be silenced by Yuriko pressing her index finger on lips:

"You said you prefer to leave the thinking to others. So, do your job and act."

she said. Then, Yuriko smiled again and continued:

"And who knows, you will probably enjoy it too. Am I not right captain?" Yuriko said, moving at a seductive manner.

Shepard was at loss. Almost 2 decades at the CISP, many infiltrations and assassinations, capturing a high ranking turian admiral and here he was, stuttering at the sight of a female. While beautiful, Yuriko still was about 200 years old, despite her treatments. Saying it was awkward would be understatement of the century. Finally, he relented and said:

"What the hell, we only live once. So where do we start?" he asked nonchalantly.

Yuriko smiled and pulled him with her powers on her desk, pining him down. She then kissed him like there was no tomorrow. While he resisted for some time, he just accepted it knowing there wasn't much he could do against the most powerful psychic:

"Woah, that was awesome! A bit creepy, but awesome. Little problem though, this suit takes some time to remove and..."

Shepard didn't manage to finish as Yuriko used her powers to disassemble his suit in mere seconds. The parts floated for a bit and then fell, leaving Shepard only with his underwear:

"That's practical. Can you put them back on again when we're done?" Shepard asked, his mouth formed a shit eating grin.

"Later, later, we are busy now." Yuriko stopped him.

"I can't really complain. More pleasant than dodging bullets and planting explosives. But more dangerous." Shepard quipped.

"Aww, are you afraid of me young one? Don't you want to play with me?" Yuriko teased playfully.

"Actually, I am more afraid for you dear. A trained assassin versus a pencil pusher. I must be careful not to hurt you ma'am..."

Shepard was again interrupted by Yuriko, who pushed him against the glass wall. She said with a smirk:

"Don't worry dear. This lady can handle a bit of roughness. Now, please remove my clothes." Yuriko ordered, pining him on the wall.

"Now that's just unfair. You have psychic powers, political power and persuasiveness. You managed to make me want to follow your orders without using any of your abilities." Shepard quipped.

"And what managed to make you follow my commands captain?" Yuriko asked, as playfully as ever.

"My desire to see this toned, curved body of yours of course." Shepard made his crass remark, earning him a slight slap on the cheek by Yuriko and being pinned on the ceiling this time.

"My, my, I have to teach you some manners young one." Yuriko said.

"You serious? You forgot that you ordered me to do it? You also ripped of my armor, pushed me against the floor, then the wall and now the ceiling..." Shepard smirked and continued:

"...have you no shame director?" he finished.

Yuriko cackled at that remark:

"No I don't. Now tear out my clothes slave." she ordered again.

"If you insist my lady..." Shepard remarked.

AN

And that's how my Shepard will come to life. Still don't know how to name him. Any ideas?


	17. Ceasefire

18th April 2156

Citadel

"Any news from the invasion force councillor Quilio?" asked Tevos to the turian councillor.

"Not yet, they are already 3 days late for sending the operation report. Maybe these humans are putting some more resistance, but I now fleet admiral Marthus. He is very capable and will eventually force them to surrender."

Quilio finished.

"I hope so, because for some reason their long range communications are not working. They haven't answered at any of our hails, maybe the humans didn't activate the mass relay's comm buoy. I could send a STG team to establish contact if needed." councillor Zerok offered.

"Thank you, but rest assured the situation is under control. I'm certain that Marthus will contact us very soon." Quilio said.

Suddenly, a fourth voice started laughing. It wasn't a happy laugh, but a slow, mocking laugh. It sounded human, but it also sounded mechanical, like it came from a communication device close by. The councillors were creeped out by that.

"Who.. Who's there? Show yourself!" Quilio ordered.

The old turian's military training kicked in,

making him regain his senses faster than the other two councillors. Then, a frame appeared. (Frames are the mobile platform sentient AI's use as bodies. They look almost exactly like a normal human if they possess external epidermis. The motherchip is housed in an internal compartment.)

"Pleased to finally see you in person councillors. Much better than spying on you like a pervert. Anyway, my name is Grant and my job is to give you a message." he said.

"What message?" Tevos asked, ignoring the fact that she was talking to an AI.

"The 5 directors of the Terran Coalition, our leadership, is coming here in hopes of a peaceful resolution to this whole Shanxi invasion situation." Grant announced.

"The invasion? Do you know what happened?" Zerok asked.

"Of course. We captured your fleet admiral Julrus Marthus in the Hierarchy fist and forced him to surrender. I was there in person, helping in his capture. Don't worry, those who surrendered are alive and well."

Grant informed.

The councillors were shocked. The turians were defeated? And the humans even captured Marthus himself, in his own ship? Now the humans said they wanted to negotiate. And their AI's possessed mechanical bodies too! What were these humans capable of?

Zerok tried to activate her personal silent alarm, but it didn't work:

"Don't bother using the alarms councillors.

We infiltrated the Citadel weeks ago. All alarms are blocked, all the exits are sealed, the comms are cut and your guards are currently unconscious. No need to make a racket and panic like headless chicken for nothing, right?" Grant said, slightly humoured, like he was dealing with kids.

Quilio however was angry. He tried to grab the pistol he always hid in his stand and aimed it towards Grant. Before he could pull the trigger however, a shot was heard. The gun flew out of Quilio's hand and was sprawled in pieces all over the floor, much to his disbelief. 5 more figures materialised out of thin air. One of them was holding a seemingly old gun that was smoking. Grant was looking humoured, like he enjoyed the sight of the councillors being wide eyed at the sight of the black clad humans:

"Didn't you hear me when I said we? You thought we didn't cover every possible angle? " he said to the councillors and then turned to the figure that held the smoking gun:

"Captain Shepard, these councillors are starting to get on my nerves. Can you please continue talking to them because I feel more and more inclined to bash their heads?" Grant pleaded.

"Alright, alright rookie, go with Harper, he will give you some milk and sing you a lullaby for bed." Shepard teased. Grant visibly frowned to the remark. However, he went along with Jack Harper, the second in command of their squad. The councillors were left speechless. A human speaking so plainly with an AI? Didn't they have any idea of the danger they posed?

"Are you mad captain? Don't you understand how dangerous AI's can be?"

councillor Tevos asked, half angry, half afraid. Shepard just looked at her like she was insane and said:

"Who, Grant? Please, Grant is a wimp compared to the rest of us, AIN'T THAT RIGHT GRANTY BOY?" he shouted to Grant, who just showed him the middle finger, saying:

"Fuck you too captain." Shepard only laughed at the remark:

"See councillors? If Grant really was a dangerous AI, he would kill me for this, right?" he asked.

The councillors were speechless. Their mouths, in Quilio's case mandibles, were hanging open like they just saw someone who turned a rock into uranium.

"Anyway, the short version of the message is, our leaders are coming to negotiate, so try to make a better impression as diplomats because you sucked as fighters..." Shepard started saying, Quilio enraged at the last remark:

"... and maybe we can work something out, alright? Also, try not to panic because we are bringing the ACUTE. Any questions?" Shepard asked.

Before anyone could ask, Shepard looked at his wrist and said:

"Oh, look at the time, we are late. Boys, let's make ourselves scarce."

On this command, the 6 CISP operators activated their chrono dislocators and disappeared, each in a blue flash. The councillors just stood behind their stands, staring at the now empty space Shepard and his squad were just a few seconds ago.

"What was that? How could they do it? Teleportation is not possible." Zerok said, unable to comprehend what she saw.

""What does the ACUTE mean? Is it some kind of acronym?" Quilio asked.

"ENOUGH! These questions have to wait. We have to prepare for the negotiations. I told you we had to do it earlier, but no. You just had to piss humanity of. Now I have to clean the mess you created. So help me do it and stop causing unnecessary problems, goddess be damned." Tevos nearly screamed.

Both Zerok and Quilio obliged. They knew that when Tevos lost her cool, things could get really bad if she was pissed off.

Then, a bunch of guards showed up, their leader a female turian;

"Councillors, are you all right?" said. They were all disarmed, their armors damaged, their omni tools disabled and they were afraid for the loves of the council.

"We are fine, don't worry. However, we have to negotiate with a new species that is coming soon. So change back to new uniforms and get some weapons, now!" Tevos ordered, her voice stern and authoritative. The guards instantly snapped to a salute and were gone in a few seconds. Quilio actually laughed at what he saw:

"Haha, even my instructor couldn't make me stand at attention so well. You really have a talent at making people listen to you when you're angry councillor Tevos." he complimented.

"Thank you for your kind words councilor Quilio, now move it!" Tevos ordered.

TCS Terra, on the way to the Citadel

"We are closing to our destination directors. We are preparing for boarding the Citadel." announced admiral Kastanie Drencher.

The directors thanked her and she went to prepare the shuttles.

"So, director MacLeod, can you remind me why we use the chronodrive instead of the mass relay?" Director DeWalt asked.

"Come on now, do we have to get over this again? We have to show the Citadel our superiority. I know, I know, we already beat them to Shanxi, but we have to show the leadership itself that we don't rely to the mass relays as heavily as them. If you have it flaunt it, am I right?" MacLeod answered.

"Yeah, yeah, just like you like to flaunt your ability to drink beer directly from the tap." director Ivanov mocked.

"WHAT? No I don't!" MacLeod shouted.

"Yes, you do!" director Espinoza answered and showed all directors a video of MacLeod doing exactly that at a british pub.

Everyone laughed at that, except MacLeod who looked ready to blow up from what he saw.

"I hate you all." he angrily said.

"I can make you forget if you want." Yuriko offered.

"Nonononono, I'm okay, I'm fine." MacLeod hastily answered, only to make the other directors laugh even harder.

"Sorry to interrupt, but we are getting out of the rupture, so please be ready to get in the shuttles directors." the voice of Drencher called from the intercom.

Citadel, C-Sec traffic control

"Sir, the sensors detect an anomaly behind the Citadel!" shouted a salarian operator.

"What sort of anomaly?" asked a turian supervisor.

"It looks like some kind of energy rupture. Wait, something is coming out..." the salarian's answer was cut short as he saw what came out.

"What is coming out? Let me see..."

The turian pushed the salarian to the side, only to see 5 enormous ships getting out of the rupture. Everyone was staring silently to the hulking behemoths with awe. The salarian was the first to regain his senses.

"Sir, I am calling the Citadel defence fleet!"

he said.

"No, they carry council authorization codes. It says they are the TCS Alliance, Coalition, Union, Terra and Empire, diplomatic envoys of humanity to the Citadel." he said

"Humans? They must be a new race. How did they manage to create these enormous dreadnoughts? They are all twice as big as the Destiny Ascension. Who knows what technology they have to offer to the Citadel species." an asari officer stated.

"True, this method of faster than light travel, using these wormholes, is incredible. Even the most brilliant minds of the citadel species would be unable..."

the salarian was cut short by the turian supervisor:

"Focus on the job. We don't even know what their intentions are. I heard from my cousin in the turian navy that an entire patrol disappeared in a newly opened mass relay. Only one ship survived. If they come with ill intent, it's gonna be worse than the krogan rebellions and the rachni wars combined." he stated.

This comment made them fall silent, realising the possible complications.

Citadel, docking bay E 20

2 platoons of C-sec officers were waiting for the incoming shuttle. When it touched down, the doors opened and out came 1 person (Mary DeWalt) flanked by 6 black suited armed agents (Special Agents), 1 (Andrei Ivanov) flanked by 6 heavily armed and armored humans (SMACC troopers), 1 (Wallace MacLeod) flanked by 6 humans in power suits (Thanotonauts), 1 (Gigiermo Espinoza) flanked by 6 humans in sleek, black armor (CISP operators), and last a woman (Yuriko Omega) without escort who was floating in the air. She couldn't be a biotic because there wasn't any blue glow around her. Despite their nervousness, which Yuriko immediately catched, the C-Sec officers approached, fingers close to the triggers but not on them, and the leader greeted them:

"Welcome to the Citadel directors. The council is waiting for you in the Presidium. If you could follow me please." said the asari.

That asari was Tela Vasir, one of the top spectres of the council and she was brought for this mission because of the high risk. She also had a side job, to hack into the devices of the visitors to get information for the Shadow Broker.

"Alright Tela Vasir, lead the way. Also, don't bother using your hacking device." Yuriko said to the shocked spectre. Tela nodded her head and led the way to the Presidium.

"However, your escorts cannot enter the Presidium, it's only for high ranking personnel." Tela said. A nod from every director to their respective guards and they returned to the shuttle entrance, standing guard and discouraging the assembled crowd from entering it. The 5 directors went in the Presidium elevator along with Tela and 4 more C-sec officers. The doors closed and they were on their way.

"This elevator is slow as sin." MacLeod quipped.

No one answered to him. Finally, they reached the Presidium. At the end of the hall were the 3 councillors, waiting to see the directors.

"Welcome to the Presidium directors. I hope the negotiations will proceed well. We would send you an envoy if we could. I hope we will reach satisfactory results. I am councillor Tevos of the asari republics. The one on my left is councillor Zerok of the salarian union and on my right is councillor Quilio of the turian hierarchy. May I ask you your names? "

Tevos started.

"Of course. My name is Mary DeWalt, I'm the director of civilian affairs."

"I am Alexei Ivanov, head of colonization."

"Wallace MacLeod, armed forces."

"I am Gigiermo Espinoza, head of intelligence, pleasure to meet you."

"Yuriko Omega, science department."

"Now that the introductions are finished, let's move on to business. First, the unprovoked attack against us in our side of the relay. What you have to say about it?" DeWalt started.

"Unauthorized relay opening is banned by Citadel law. While you were unaware of it you need to hear the story about..." Tevos was cut by Espinoza who said:

"Yes, we became aware of the rachni after we found that Codex of yours. While I find the tactic of storing so much important information in such an accessible point questionable, we became aware of the rachni. Which is why we put a military presence in relay openings."

"This is why you destroyed our patrol? You considered us hostile aliens?" Quilio asked.

"No. Our policy is to try and establish communication with potential first contacts. As you must be aware, we found the batarians first. They answered our hails and we talked. The negotiations were successful and they are now allowed to trade with us." Espinoza answered.

"The turians however, entered our space without permission. They strolled inside like they owned the place. Captain Lana Kushner sent them a warning to leave, but they refused, so she opened fire per my direct orders. You shot us, we shot back. Simple." MacLeod finished.

"Then why did you kill so many of them? You butchered 30000 turians and destroyed nearly 40 ships. Is that normal to you?" Quilio asked angrily.

"If they listened they would survive. They didn't so they died. We hit them hard in order to demoralise you, to send a message. We left only one ship back to tell the tale. Clearly, you were too stubborn, so you sent even more to their deaths, blindly and hastily. The soldiers pay for the mistakes of their leaders." MacLeod said.

"Also, we are aware that you authorised the Shanxi invasion to gain access to our technology. Only Tevos resisted at the decision, something that I applaud her for. I am aware that you agreed in the end to keep the cohesion of the council, so maybe there's still hope." Espinoza added, shocking the councillors.

"What? How did you know?" Tevos asked

"You really thought we use stealth frigates only as warships? We have stealtcraft to every major planet and installation. Agents in the Citadel as you learned, Palaven, Thessia, Sur'Kesh, Dekuuna, Kahje, Tuchanka, Khar'Shan, Irune, Omega even close to the Migrant fleet. Your STG is raw amateurs compared to the CISP." Espinoza made Zerok twitch in annoyance at the remark.

"So, here is the deal. We can agree to a ceasefire, maybe even trade agreements, but no way we join the Citadel species as a client state." director DeWalt stated.

""What? Why not? Don't you want to be part of the galactic community?" Tevos asked, her voice laced with disbelief.

"How dare you! In the 2000 years of history, no one even thought of refusing a seat in the Citadel" Quilio was furious at hearing that a new race refused a seat as a client state.

"Does it look like we care? Humanity survived and flourished through many catastrophies and disasters. We fought wars using weapons that are still the stuff of nightmares. We terraformed lifeless rock planets into garden wars, even survived a galactic conflict against rogue warlords. Now, we beat you in Shanxi. No matter what happens, we survive. If you want war with us, we will give it to you. Every single one of your planets will bathe in nuclear fire." MacLeod countered Quilio.

"NUCLEAR WEAPONS? Don't you know how dangerous they are?" Tevos shouted in diabelief. The tension was defused by director Ivanov who tried to appeal to the logical side of the council.

"Hey, hey let us all calm down and face facts. You don't want humanity as an enemy. Yes, we possess nuclear weapons, AI's, terraforming technology that makes yours look primitive and many other advantages, but we don't want anymore conflict. We can just try to get along, trade non military technology, exchange culture and experience and maybe even terraform a few planets for you. Everyone wins."

The council took a minute to think over it. Then, a treaty was given to the directors.

Instead of the standard treaty of Farixen, demanding the limitation of armed forces, a fixed dreadnought ratio, sharing of technology with the Citadel species and allowance to deploy turian fleets as patrols, the modified version only required a ceasefire, reparations from the turians for the damages, allowance for trade between the terran coalition and the citadel and support against outside threats.

"It looks good. And as a gesture of good faith, we offer you one fleet to bolster the Citadel defence fleet and all the captured ships and turian soldiers of the Shanxi invasion." Mary DeWalt announced after the 5 directors signed the treaty.

The council looked relieved, but then Espinoza warned:

"However, my agents will stay on their toes. Try something funny against humanity and I will know about it."

The directors took their leave, except Yuriko.

"Director Omega, is there anything else you need?" Tevos asked nervously.

"I just want to ask you a question. Do you know what cancer is?" Yuriko asked.

The councillors were confused at the question. They looked at each other, the Tevos answered:

"Yes, a disease that mutates cells and turns them into tumors capable of killing the sick person, why?"

"Then you know that the only way to cure cancer is to cut it out, right?" Yuriko asked.

Tevos nodded, still not understanding what was the meaning of the question.

"Then why are you not doing so? Letting the krogan slowly die because of to the genophage after so many centuries is a terrible waste. Ostracizing the quarians because they created the geth is also a waste. Leaving the geth unattended to grow in power and likely invade is foolishness. Allowing the terminus systems to operate unchecked is also foolish. Do you see how many tumors are present to the galaxy? But for some reason you stay idle, slowly rotting away." Yuriko stated telepathically.

The council was flabbergasted. They all heard the same thing in their minds.

"What... what in the spirits name was that?" Quilio asked.

"Some kind of telepathy apparently. Like the asari mind meld but more potent. Are there more like you director Omega?"

Zerok asked.

"Thousands." Yuriko said with a smile and left the Presidium, floating mid air.

AN

Next chapter: Were will young Shepard be in his teens.


	18. Riches to rags

After the ceasefire of 18th April 2156, humanity learned that they weren't alone in the galaxy. Surprisingly, they took the news quite well, despite some riots and protests for allowing aliens inside terran territory. The directors tried to calm them down, stating that the aliens were friendly and they only wanted to trade and learn from the human civilization. Also, they added that it also worked the other way around. Merchants and businessmen lined up to work in the Citadel, Noveria and Illium, some matching or even surpassing the volus in finance knowledge and economy. Others applied to work in C-sec. Many humans were accepted, due to the fact that a human fleet was added to the defence fleet and the lingering fear that was instilled to the Citadel species for humanity's combat prowess. Still, the integration was smooth more or less besides some complaints about excessive force by some human officers. Others wanted to travel to the Citadel space and other planets for cultural exchange and talk with actual aliens. However, there were also people who wanted to go to the terminus systems to work as mercenaries,

killers for hire, drug dealers and other illicit activities. Zaeed Massani, who was discharged on 'psychological grounds' after liquifying admiral Arterius, went to the terminus systems, along with an requisitions officer, Vido Santiago, to create the Blue Suns, a mercenary outfit that would probably gain significant power in the future. All in all, the future looked bright, despite the setbacks brought because of humanity's liberal use of AI, the existence and recognition of sentient AI's as human beings, the destruction in Shanxi and the advanced technology that humanity wasn't willing to share. To alleviate the concerns, civilian grade technology was allowed to be exchanged, including medicinal, cybernetics, construction nanomachines and terraforming spires, but the watchful eyes of the CISP made sure that nothing would escape unnoticed. Also, there was the matter of the spectres. Unlike the hunter division, whose members were trained from a young age to uphold the laws despite their right to overrule them if necessary, spectre candidate screening processes weren't as careful and thorough. Proof was the 2157 Benning incident. A trio of asari spectres were gunning for a notorious batarian drug lord who operated in the terminus systems. Said criminal escaped into terran territory using fake identification, granting him access to the colony of Benning as a trader. However, the spectres found him and instead of asking the authorities to bring him in, they attacked him on sight. While they did eliminate the target, the resulting pursuit led to a rampage that killed 4 humans, injured 7 and caused a lot of collateral damage. The 3 spectres were later apprehended by a lone hunter who was called to resolve the situation and bring them in. While the coalition discovered that the batarian truly was a criminal, the 3 spectres were imprisoned for their reckless conduct and murder of unarmed civilians. They were to be imprisoned for 25 years if it wasn't for the intervention of the council. They paid heavy reparations for the damages and a revised law passed towards allowing spectres to kill or capture criminals of any council species in terran territory. The new law dictates that each and every spectre entering terran territory must be at all times be escorted by a hunter unit, also the opposite if the roles were reversed. while many, especially the turians, thought the council's approach was too weak kneed and appeasing to the humans, just a few months later, in 2159, the teaming up of an asari spectre and young hunter David Anderson brought down a rogue human scientist who tried to sell military hardware to a batarian extremist group. The batarian Hegemony was splintered in 2 factions, the Free Batarian Worlds, who decided to abolish slavery and become less xenophobic, led by Grothan Pazness with help from the terran coalition, and the True Batarian Hegemony, who wanted to keep slavery as part of their culture and resumed funding pirates, slavers and terrorists against anyone they considered enemies. They held Khar'Shan and the batarian colonies in the closest proximity, but where far more isolated and had no support except the funded criminals and terrorists. The results led to the closing of the official batarian embassy, as the council didn't want to get involved in this civil war. The news of a human hunter working with a spectre however soothed some tensions, but the lingering animosity was still there. The council species considered humanity too individualistic to really join the galactic community, despite the tries from both sides to make things easier.

5th August 2159

London, Earth

Sebastian Shepard, dressed in civilian clothing, was in a hotel room, waiting for his contact. In the meantime, he was fiddling with a tool, writing words on the arm of a little 3 year old boy, his son.

"That's right, hold still and be quiet. Just in case something happens to me, you will still be recognisable." he said quietly.

The words written when he was finished were:

'Douglas Shepard, 1st January 2157'

With his work done, he said to the quiet boy:

"Look at you. 3 years old and you didn't even flinch. I know grown men who would piss their pants to the sight of that needle. Heh, I don't really know if you will become the hero your mother claims, but I'll stake my life that whoever's going to mess with you will pay dearly." Shepard said.

A few minutes later, after Shepard put his son to the bedroom, someone knocked the door of the hotel room. 3 quick knocks, 2 slow and 2 quick. Shepard knew who it was before opening the door:

"Why so late Jack? Stuck in the traffic again?" Shepard teased, while the face he greeted became a death glare. One embarrassing story of the figure in front of Shepard, Jack Harper, was one time they went to a strip club, Jack was left behind, and claimed to his superiors that he was stuck in traffic as an excuse to avoid the latrine duty, back to their salad days before becoming CISP operators.

"No. I just had some business to attend to before I came here. It is about the new role of cell Cerberus." Jack answered.

"You mean about this whole 'watch them were they live' situation?" Shepard asked.

"No. Director Espinoza authorized the Cerberus Initiative. Our objective is to protect humanity against every enemy and at any cost. As you are well aware, many from our cell, other cells and even from the other branches volunteer for this. I just want to learn if you are interested." Harper offered.

Shepard was quiet for a bit. He wasn't persuaded at the slightest:

"Why exactly do we need something like that? We already have every advantage we need. Technological, military, the psychic corps, what else we need?" he asked.

"This is the reach of our official power Shepard. But what about the unofficial? As you know, the aliens are trying to make under the table deals with some of our own, corrupting humanity from the inside out. The role of Cerberus is to ensure they fail. We catch whatever falls through the cracks of the official coalition's power and all is well." Harper explained.

"So this is it? We devolve the Cerberus cell into a criminal organisation? A terrorist group? Are you insane Harper? We don't even have a sliver of the funding needed for something like this." Shepard said in disbelief.

Harper, to his credit, kept his voice stern and his face neutral as he tried to explain further:

"We don't devolve. We adapt. This matter is no more about squabbles between humanity. The aliens don't trust us and probably never will. They want us as subordinates, they don't watch us as equals. They will use any method to get their claws to our resources, our people and our technology. We must discourage them from taking any real action. Also, the director provided us with a substantial amount of credits." Harper showed Shepard a check. It had many zeroes written on it.

Shepard looked the check wide eyed. And the part about the alien species being distrustful and wanting to get their hands on human technology was true. Proof was the earlier incident. If one human could be tempted to betray for credits, why not another? The danger was real and Shepard knew it, so he gave his answer to Harper:

"I understand Jack. I really do. But as you see, I have a son now. I can't really fight in this cold war. I have to settle down. Who knows, one day he may be of use to the armed forces or Cerberus." Shepard refused the offer.

Harper wasn't pleased at the answer. He huffed in disappointment and turned away towards the door:

"I'm sorry to hear that Shepard. It would be like the good old times. If this is your decision, I will respect it..."

Suddenly, an electrified dart struck Shepard to the torso, knocking him unconscious, causing his body to tremble from the shock. The last words he heard before slipping in unconsciousness were:

"...but the orders dictate that anyone who is aware about Cerberus, in exception to director Espinoza and all Cerberus personnel, is to be eliminated. Believe me Shepard, I don't want to do this, but orders are orders. For humanity." Harper finished.

With the body taken away by the now decloaked CISP operator, the same AI who was in Shepard's squad in the Citadel, named Grant, Harper searched the place for the child, only to find the bedroom empty and a window open. It was already dark outside and it looked like the boy escaped from the window. Harper gave up the idea of hunting him and left the apartment. In the meantime, little Douglas was trying to run away. His psychic powers caught the danger of the situation and pushed his body to move. So, he fell from the second floor of the hotel, thankfully his abilities let him fall relatively softly and without injuries and he went as far away as he could, afraid of the one who was hunting him, away from the one who hurt his father. However, his body was still too weak to properly work and he collapsed, just one kilometer away from the hotel, in the east london slums. He collapsed in a dreamless sleep, the chill of the night making him shiver. A little later, a male voice was heard:

"JESUS CHRIST! Come out here woman! There's a little lad here!... do something, he is shivering..." then, a female voice started:

"He has a fever Keith!... where did you find the boy Keith, did somebody leave him here?" the voices were clearer now, but Shepard could also feel their distress and willingness to help. He was too weak to wake up, but he felt relieved. Then he heard the male voice again:

"I found him near the dumpster, on me way to the pub. I was about to go drink with the boyos, then saw the poor tyke lying there among the trash."

"God almighty, did you see anyone or anything else?" the woman asked.

"Nay, I looked around and saw nothing. Whatever motherless bastard left the boy there is long gone." he said as he picked Shepard up and carried him back to their run down apartment.

Keith Mandrel was very angry at whoever left a child like this. Sure, he wasn't the best person in the world, he was a football fanatic, Liverpool all the way, a bit of a drinker and pretty violent if agitated. But he was a caring husband and would never lay a finger on his wife Nancy, his 7 year old son Bryce or his 10 year old daughter Janet. His wife was also kind. While hard to trust others and having a limited income made her work hard, she did her best at growing the kids and educating them using second hand books and whatever else needed.

"Hey, the lad has a tattoo on his left forearm. It looks fresh." Keith said as he raised said arm.

"Let's me open the light." Nancy said as she flipped the switch, illuminating said tattoo.

"Douglas Shepard, 1st January 2157, is that your name and birthdate boy?" Keith asked at the still unconscious boy.

"For fuck's sake, don't wake up the lad. Put him somewhere close to the heater so he can sleep." Nancy ordered.

Keith obliged and did so, also covering Shepard with a blanket to keep him warm. The commotion however attracted the attention of Bryce, who immediately asked:

"Hey pops, who is that little guy here?"

"He is Douglas Shepard and we have to help him recuperate son." Keith said.

"Is he a Liverpool fan?" Bryce asked.

"All the way Bryce." Keith lied.

"Then let me help him. We gotta stand together to win." Bryce said.

"Alright then, just keep yer eyes on him and tell me when he wakes up. I gotta go and ask the child providence if any children were declared lost around here." Keith said as he left.

About two hours later, Keith returned bearing news. His wife asked him what he learned:

"Well, the boy isn't in their system. No kids lost under that name, no runaways, no kidnappings, nothing. They say that if we keep it, we are entitled to a money bonus."

Keith said, more happily to the last part.

"Wait, you really think of keeping him?" Nancy asked.

"Why the bloody hell not? We would do a better job than the rotten piece of shit who abandoned the lad. Let alone we're getting a hefty amount of cash." Keith explained.

Nancy thought for a bit. She didn't really want to have a third child. But leaving it alone just wasn't right on her mind. So, she made her decision:

"Alright then, we have to sign adoption papers and..." Nancy didn't have time to finish talking when a scream from next room interrupted her:

"MOM, DAD, COME HERE NOW! THIS SHIT IS INSANE!" the distressed voice of Bryce said. Worried, the two parents bolted to the room were Bryce was watching Shepard, only to stay slack jawed and wide eyed at what they saw. Little Douglas was levitating in the air, awake, aware and seemingly happy, while Bryce was in the corner, not believing what he was seeing. Also, Janet was there, her eyes more interested than afraid.

"He is a psychic. No other logical explanation." Janet said. The three others nodded and when the shock settled in, Nancy asked Keith:

"Maybe that's why the boy's name is in the system. It's a military asset, they want it as a living weapon or something."

"No way I'm letting the little lad become a tool for war. We will help him grow into a proper boy, not some twisted soldier. I don't care about the discovery of them aliens, the boy will become a proper man, not a weapon." Keith decided.

"Is it settled then? We adopt the boy?" Nancy asked.

"Come on pops, I want a brother to play football with, maybe even watch the matches. Janet is too uptight and..." Bryce stopped talking when he saw the glare of his older sister.

"Aside of what my dimwitted brother said, I always wanted to see a psychic. Having one as a brother will be the best for my research." Janet said.

"What 'research' o mighty big sister?" Bryce teased.

"I want to be a scientist. Researching how a psychic works will benefit the world." Janet answered.

"All right, all right kiddos, we will take little Douglas in." Keith said. The kids hooted in delight, even Nancy smiled. Keith thought that it would be better for the kid to grow with normal, albeit poor family, than in some military facility. He knew from his past in the SMACC troopers that war only brings pain and misery in the end. He fought hard in the 3 warlords rebellion and when he returned, all he got was a medal because of his leg injury, a pat in the back and a miserable pension. He saw Shepard and he was almost sure that the boy nodded at understanding to him. Heh, perks of being a psychic.

AN

Sorry for the late update. I got sick for a week and I'm lucky my hearing is still good. Anyway, as you see, Douglas Shepard's youth years won't be without their hardships. This is my modified Earthborn path, were I connect the official mass effect lore with my own ideas. Enjoy.


	19. An offer

4th June 2170

"ON A SATURDAY AFTERNOON,

WE SUPPORT A TEAM CALLED LIVERPOOL,

AND WE SING UNTIL WE DROP,

ON THE FAMOUS SPION KOP..." chanted the ecstatic Liverpool fans as they were getting in the Stamford Bridge stadium. The team was playing against Chelsea in the quarter finals of the Premier League. Miraculously, football, the different cups and most of its clubs survived, despite the advances in technology and the colonisation. Football proved pretty resilient in the flow of time and actually flourished. Even the colonies created their own football teams, and every 4 years the Galactic Cup attracted watchers from everywhere, even alien fans who grown fond of the sport. This time however, a certain group of red clad fanatics was the point of attention. They were the 10th Street Reds, Liverpool fanatics by day, street thugs, with a say to almost any illicit activity, by night. Among them were the 18 years old Bryce Mandrel and his, now 13 years old, adopted brother Douglas Shepard. They both became inseparable over the years, one had the muscle, the other was the brains and, secretly, a psychic. Now, Douglas was using his powers to influence the Reds to chant in better unison and with louder voices, providing a morale boost to the players. While he was doing it for the team, the Reds invested a substantial amount of money in favor of Liverpool.

Bryce got his position as associate in the 10th Street Reds thanks to Shepard's indirect help. Bryce's entry assignment was to find and steal a stash of cash from an enemy crew.

With Shepard's help, who created a distraction by causing a car crash close to the stash location and making the accident victims get angry against each other, causing a fight to break out, which lured the mobsters away, allowing Bryce to steal the stash undetected. That earned him his position, 2 pints of beer and a small stack of cash. While the cash would be useful for some time, the medical bills for their mother's disease were taking a toll. They needed more money to survive. Money that no legal work could provide.

"Hey, hey, hey, here is Brycey boy and little Doug!" greeted Finch, the one who vouched for Bryce to join the Reds. Everyone turned towards him, greeting and giving handshakes. When they reached their seats in the front rows, the match started a little later. Liverpool, despite being in what was considered hostile ground, was playing remarkably well, thanks to a psychic who was using the chants of the fans as an amplifier for his powers, providing a morale boost to the players. No one knew about Shepard's powers except his family. Douglas himself claimed that secrecy was his real weapon. For his young age, he proved to be very smart and capable. Proof was his ability at repairing and sabotaging various machines and electronics, thanks to no small part to both copying the knowledge from a few mechanics and engineers who were regulars at the pub the 10th Street Reds were using as a watering hole, the Red Carp. There was no Liverpool fan, Londoner or not, who didn't know about it.

After the match, which ended with Liverpool winning 2-0, the pub was full of overjoyed fans, drinking pints of beer and downing shots like there was no tomorrow.

"OI WILKINS! NEED A FEW PINTS HERE TOO!" shouted Finch to get the attention of the grizzled bartender.

"COMING RIGHT UP LADS! CINDY, TANYA! A BOOZEHOUND FOR OUR BEST CUSTOMERS!" Wilkins shouted to the two barwomen. When the drinks were served, the atmosphere reached a new level of joviality. They were all chanting, laughing, clinging glasses and joking. Bryce and Douglas, who only got a small can of beer for himself, were both in high spirits. They got a good amount of cash from the winning bets, enough to pay for their mother's treatment. Shepard was secretly captured every thought of the people around him. Suddenly, he caught a thought of distress that was coming closer. Someone in danger maybe? The thought belonged to a heaving, sweaty man in his mid thirties:

"OI! THE PENSIONERS ARE HERE! AT LEAST 50 OF THEM! THEY WANT TO TRASH THE PLACE!"

The scream belonged to Fraser O'Leary. He was warning that the enraged Chelsea fans wanted to cause trouble. While many called him a 'Paddy fuck' because of his Irish heritage, he actually was a loyal and dedicated member of the Reds. Tough as nails, strong enough to break the face of anyone but ugly as sin. However, his warning made everyone jump in response. All present members of the Reds immediately got out and in front of the pub, ready for a brawl. Bryce and Shepard weren't strangers to the scrap. They both had experience from their gang infested school and Bryce also had to roughen up fans of opposing teams. But this wasn't just a scrap. This would be closer to a gang war, except the only weapons used would be bottles, sticks, billie clubs and anything else that could cause blunt trauma. An unwritten rule of every british gang quoting that: 'No one must bring a gun, knife or any lethal weapon to avoid drawing too much attention from the coppers.' It's been almost 250 years and very few broke the rule. Those who did usually ended up imprisoned and then murdered in the can or dead in a dark alley. This wasn't the case this time. Still, nearly 100 people ready itching for a fight wasn't an everyday occurrence. The Reds formed a wall in front of the pub, waiting for the Chelsea fans to arrive. Bryce and Douglas were in the right flank of the human wall. Protecting what was considered home territory was about reputation, something more important than money and favors. Reputation makes people respected and feared, reputation could provide lucrative job offers and reputation could earn favors. Finally, the Blues arrived and formed their own human wall opposite of the Reds. Their leader, a man named Nelson, a bull of a man with a violent streak started taunting first:

"The boys here are thirsty. Empty the pub and maybe we will pay for the drinks. Now beat it!"

The leader of the Reds, Theodore Ingram, a shrewd but dangerous man, who preferred to leave violence as a last resort but was very capable at dealing it, retorted:

"We just did. But you still have to pass through us. And the only drink we can provide is as bitter as your loss."

The Reds laughed at it, while Nelson looked ready to burst a blood vessel:

"Well, I tried to be civil. But if you're looking for a beating, who are we to let you down?"

It was the round of the Blues to hoot and laugh. Theodore was unfazed. He made a stroke with his fingers and then the Reds started swearing, shouting and taunting. Despite their status as a hooligan gang, the 10th Street Reds were remarkably disciplined and well organized, courtesy of Theodore's training and Shepard's unseen psychic help. In order to make the Reds more focused and less prone to rage, Shepard put a mental barrier to the minds

of every member of the Reds, unknown even to his brother. After the round of insults and taunts came the throwing of projectiles and then started the brawl. All hell broke loose. Punches, kicks, headbutts, grapples and strikes with blunt weapons. Shepard avoided the fight, instead watching from behind a dumpster. He saw Bryce swinging a chair leg to the face of a bald Chelsea fan, a trio of blue clad figures trying to overwhelm Travis, the big guy of the Reds, Finch pinning down and headbutting a downed Blue, Nelson charging and hitting 2 Reds like a bull, Theodore smashing someone in an advertisement post and so on. Shepard admitted that directed violence is sometimes the only way to achieve your objectives. In this case, protecting home turf from an enemy gang. Right after he finished his thought, a blue clad figure spotted him. He had a sadistic grin on his face and his right hand held a metal rod. Shepard knew that guy. It was Thomas Arlington, a real nasty piece of shit. Apart from his sadistic tendencies, he was also a pyromaniac and a complete whack job.

"Well, well lookie here. A little carp out of the pond. Makes me hungry." Thomas said with a threatening tone and licked his lips as an added effect. Shepard was unfazed. He heard so many threats and insults he barely paid attention to them. That didn't stop him from retorting however:

"OI! Go back to your cave you mental defective. Your stink is making me sick." Shepard said and then spited on the ground. Thomas immediately lunged at Shepard, trying to hit him with his rod. Douglas grabbed the dumpster's lid and used it as a shield to defend himself. But still, he was outclassed against Thomas, a 13 year old against an adult wasn't really the best chance. Eventually, the lid was knocked away from his hands and Thomas pinned him down, pishing the rod against Shepard's throat while laughing.

"Hahahaha, come on little fish, keep struggling, more fun for me." he said with a low growl. Shepard knew he had to act. He couldn't use his powers because that would attract too much attention, but he couldn't call for help either, the others were too busy. So, he started punching the maniac in the throat and kicking him in the nuts until he collapsed on him. Then he heard sirens. The cops came! Everyone scattered away. He heard his brother Bryce shouting for him, but eventually he had to bugger out too. So, here he was, pinned under a bloody corpse, covered in blood and drool. Only one phrase came to Shepard's mouth before the coppers took him:

"Bloody hell."

A few hours later, an officer was in the interrogation room where a chained Shepard was sitting:

"So, your name is Douglas Shepard, born in January 1st 2157 if the tattoo is to be trusted. You're adopted by Keith and Nancy Mandrel. You have no records of other relatives, not even distant." the officer stated.

"I also have me brother and a sister. I have a family." Shepard added.

"Yes. Bryce and Janet Mandrel. Janet is studying to become a doctor. Bryce is working in the Red Carp pub as security. Too much of a coincidence for you to just be there when there was a fight, right?" the officer asked, trying to squeeze for information.

"What is so bad about wanting to see me brother? I already told you I didn't see him. I heard a lot of people fighting and then that crazy bloke tried to crush me bloody wind pipe. I didn't have any other choice but to off him. It was self fucking defence."

"Ah yes, the dead body of Thomas Arlington. A real piece of work that bastard, no one will miss him. However, this murder was in self defence, as you said and you were unarmed against an armed psychopath. Let alone the fact you are barely a teenager. My real question is, what did you see there? The road close to you and the Red Carp pub is full of broken glass, planks and covered in blood. There was a huge fight there, like 2 other witnesses said and I want to learn from you who was there. You were the one closest in the area so, you tell me what you saw and walk away." the officer forcefully offered. Shepard read his mind and saw that there were no other witnesses about that brawl, only suspects, his brother included, but no hard evidence.

"I didn't see a bloody thing. I was pinned by that wanker you call Thomas. I heard voices and noice, but I couldn't see anything. So let me go because me parents are worried and I have school tomorrow, sir." Shepard said the last word sarcastically. He was truthful about school, he really was attending, despite his affiliation with the Reds, and was actually a good student. His powers could absorb knowledge like a sponge and his father and sister taught him to be stealthy and cautious to avoid detection. The officer was angry at the teen, but he couldn't keep him in without evidence or wittnesses. So he huffed and exited the room. On the other side of the glass panel, Shepard detected 3 presences. The police officer who interrogated him, a police detective who obviously wanted to solve the case of the gang brawl, but the third individual was the one who nearly made Shepard cringe. That individual was David Anderson, one of the best of the Hunter division and also a Londoner. It took a lot of willpower from Shepard not to show his shock and surprise.

"Shit must have got real bad for a bloody hunter to come here sniffing like a godamn bloodhound." he monologued as silently as possible.

From the other side of the panel, Anderson took an interest in the brat with the jet black, straight and very short hair, the grey eyes and the chin scar. The boy managed to kill a stronger and armed foe and stayed coherent afterwards. He also kept his mouth shut about what he knew. He could make a good hunter someday. Anderson's real interest in London was actually to relax because he was in shore leave. After he heard about the brawl close to the Red Carp and hearing that a boy managed to survive and eliminate a vicious arsonist without weapons or tricks made him want to see what Douglas Shepard was really capable of:

"Detective, I want to talk to the boy." he said. The detective nodded and escorted him to the door of the interrogation room.

Shepard immediately raised his head, hiding his anxiety about the figure who got inside, and quipped:

"Well, you sure don't look like a copper. You are no suit or lawyer either. What the fuck are you?"

Anderson was unfazed by the insult and calmly answered:

"My name is David Anderson and I am a soldier, a lieutenant commander to be precise. I find your skill and wit extraordinary. So, I am interested to persuade you to join the army."

Shepard's eye twitched at the answer.

"NO BLOODY WAY YOU FUCKING ZULU CUNT! I will not abandon me family! Me mum is sick and me dad told me about the army. All he earned was a leg injury and a miserable pension after he was injured in the 3 warlord rebellions. So, no godamn way you can make me join." Shepard answered.

Anderson just amirked and retorted:

"I knew your real father kiddo. And you remind me of him."

Shepard stood shock still and silent to the revelation. His mind was in the verge of going berserk. It took all of Shepard's willpower and training to keep it together.

When he calmed down, he used his powers to read Anderson's mind and found that he was telling the truth:

"What the bloody hell you talking about?" Shepard asked.

"Your father was Sebastian Shepard, one of the best CISP operators and his family, YOUR family, was in the service for more than 2 centuries. Here, I have this dossier for you, take a look." Anderson said and offered a thick dossier filled with papers. Shepard was intrigued and started reading. He read about Gregory Shepard the peacekeeper, Delilah Shepard the veteran of the rebellions, Warren 'Mad dog' Shepard and many others. War was literally in the blood of Douglas Shepard, if what Anderson was saying was true. Of course, his powers said that Anderson was telling the truth, but what if the information was mistaken? Shepard had to investigate further:

"Why me? There are others with the same surname as mine, how can you be so sure?" he asked

"A few years before your father disappeared, he made me an offer. He said that he was going to have a son and he wanted me to train you. He gave me something to help me identify you in case anything happened to any of you." Anderson said and pulled out a small, transparent case. Inside it was a black revolver. Shepard was almost mesmerized by it. The weapon looked ancient, but it was in pristine condition.

"This is a Ruger Redhawk 8 shooter .357 caliber. Modified by Sebastian himself to chamber specialised ammo and with enough punch to break almost any sort of shielding or kinetic barrier with only one shot. I saw him using it. He could draw, shoot and holster in less than 0.3 seconds. Also, to answer your question, there was some of his DNA on the gun. It matches yours." Anderson said to Shepard. He was telling the truth.

"Do you know what happened to me father?" Shepard asked.

"All I know is that he disappeared somewhere here in London. No traces, no witnesses, no evidence, no footage. Except you." Anderson answered truthfully.

"Do you know anything about me mother then?"

"I asked the same question to him myself. He didn't answer. All he said was that she was really good, if you know what I mean." Anderson said.

"Yeah, I understand, he screwed her really well. Anyway, I am not persuaded to join the army despite my history. My family is here and I am not leaving them." Shepard finally decided, his Londoner accent breaking. Anderson shook his head in disappointment and said:

"Well, you are still young and passionate. One day you may take things a little more seriously. Here's my card." Anderson said as he raised from his chair and left a black card with white letters on the table. Before he opened the door however, he turned and smirked to Shepard saying:

"I really believe it's a total waste to use your gifts for a bunch of hooligans however, don't you agree?" Anderson winked and exited the room. Shepard was agitated at the answer. Did Anderson really know about his powers? Or he just said it because he was impressed from his prowess? Shepard thought against using his powers to avoid possible detection. Then an officer came to unshackle him and in half an hour, he was back home. He didn't talk with anyone, he didn't eat anything, he just directly went to bed. In his pale fingers he held the black card. He was debating what to do.

"When shit is bad, just go to sleep bruv."

The voice belonged to Bryce. He understood the ordeal Shepard went through. Or so he thought:

"I know it's nasty to kill someone little brother, but better him than you." he tried to calm Douglas out.

"I don't give a rat's ass about that cunt. I didn't say anything about that godamned brawl. Me real problem is that sheep fucker who gave me this card." he said and showed the black card. It only had a phone address and a symbol. Two crossed rifles and a wolf head above them. Around it was a phrase. 'Alone or together, we hunt'.

"A hunter visited you? What the hell for?"

Bryce asked in disbelief.

"He said that he was impressed by me killing someone and said that it is a waste to be part of a gang. He also said he knows about me real parents." Douglas answered. Bryce raised his head at that:

"What? Was he telling the truth?"

"Yeah. My father apparently was a CISP operator, one of the best. The wanker who told me about that actually worked with him. My whole family actually served for more than 2 centuries. He also knows that my father disappeared somewhere in London, ghost like. Then he made me this offer to enlist and train under him." Shepard recalled.

"Shit bruv, what a mess man." Bryce said, putting his hands on his head at that revelation.

"Right, and this isn't even the worst part. He also said that it is a pity to waste my gifts for a gang. He probably knows I'm a psychic. I am royally fucked bruv." Douglas said, his anxiety and desperation obvious as day.

Bryce thought for a bit and offered a possible solution:

"He is likely baiting you bruv. Listen, keep close with us and keep using your abilities as stealthily as possible. Also use your tech knowledge. If that bastard is really watching you, I bet me right arm he is, he will try to spot changes in your routine and habits. That's how spies and even hunters work. So, try to act as normal as possible and be cautious for anything suspicious."

"Alright. That may work. But what about this card?" Shepard asked.

"Eh, put it in a drawer. Not many can say they got a visit from a hunter and lived ." Bryce recommended.

"Alright then Bryce. Thanks for listening."

Shepard said with gratitude.

"Anytime little brother." Bryce said and patted Douglas to the shoulder. Unknown to them all, someone heard everything from the card, which was actually a microphone with an antenna.

"Even fewer can say they were trained by a hunter Douglas." Anderson said to himself, a few kilometres away in a hotel room.


	20. He couldn't refuse

25th September 2172

"Come on now mate, this is grade A stuff. One whiff can knock out an elephant."

Finch was trying to convince Shepard to try a new drug named Red Sand, made from refined element zero, behind the school yard.

"Mate, you know I don't do any of these. Alcohol is okay, when you can't take anymore you pass out. This shit is too dangerous." Shepard refused.

"But alcohol can't give you the same buzz. It's like a dream when you take it." Finch tried again.

"Seriously Finch, you forgot what happened to Richie when he was found in that fucking dumpster? Or Todd who died from overdose? This shit is made from eezo for fuck sakes. It's not meant for consumption." Shepard added. Finch huffed with disappointment. Later, his business like smile returned and asked:

"I guess you want just the regular then? Painkillers and anesthetics for your big sister?"

"Yeah, and I swear to God above she wants to open up me brain just to see how it works. After she got her medical license, she always asks me to get her drugs and dead bodies for her experiments. She managed to raise a dog that was dead for about 16 hours back to life! I don't know if I am impressed or creeped out mate." Shepard said.

"Is she hot at least? I wouldn't mind if a beauty put me under." Finch made a crass remark, earning a chuckle from Douglas:

"Sure mate, she is. If you really want to hit on her, your funeral. Too bad there won't be a corpse to bury."

They both shared a laugh. They were so used to Janet's curiosity and fascination with biology and medicine, it became comedy material. Their conversation was to be interrupted by someone however:

"You do remember that we have work to do, am I right boyos?" Bryce asked them.

"Don't worry Bryce, we are both ready. Doug, we will do business after the job right?" Finch asked.

"Yeah sure mate. And don't worry brother. The device is ready and tested. Wound up tighter than a nun's arse." Shepard said, earning a chuckle from the other two.

"Right then lads, we only have one shot at this." Bryce said and went to the agreed post. Douglas and Finch went to their posts too. If the job was successful, the Reds would walk with significantly heavier pockets. Theodore Ingram learned about a shipment of expensive electronic equipment that was passing through east London. That shipment was meant for a hostile gang with significant manpower, but the potential payoff seriously outweighed the risks. Theodore and his lieutenants agreed that should the job succeed, the 10th street Reds could expand further than just Earth. The galaxy was very big and adding the aliens and the bigger market, the Reds could become better than a gang of hooligans. But, first things first, they needed to steal that shipment. Theodore took a gamble at using the Shepard's technical ingenuity. How he managed to learn that much about tech was beyond him. Bryce praised him a lot, Douglas's inventions actually worked smoothly at other jobs, like shutting down security at some burglaries, disabling surveillance at some store robberies and masking electronic signatures. Still, the stakes were higher than ever, and Theodore didn't like using children for his schemes. So, he called both Bryce and Douglas to his table at the Red Carp yesterday to discuss the job.

Flashback, 24th September 2172

Red Carp pub

"Duncan, can you bring Bryce and Douglas to me table?" Theodore asked one of his subordinates.

"Sure thing boss." Duncan nodded and went to call the two brothers. In less than a minute, they trio arrived, Bryce having Douglas in tow.

"You can leave Duncan, this is between me and the boys." Theodore said. Duncan nodded and went to another corner with other members of the Reds.

"Umm, you need us for something boss?"

Bryce dared to ask.

"Have a seat lads." Theodore gestured at the empty seats opposite of him. The two boys obliged. Shepard knew that Theodore wanted to talk about something important. He could easily find out, but he used his powers to read surface thoughts and emotions. He rarely delved deeper to anyone's mind to avoid possible detection.

"Is something the matter?" Bryce asked again. He was never called to talk with the boss himself and he wanted to make a good impression. He always tried his best for the gang, be it in the football stadiums, the street brawls or the odd jobs. He became a dependable and respected part of the gang. He wasn't a fanatic or a drug addict, much to Theodore's pleasure. For a gang leader, Theodore wanted only capable and dependable members. Alcoholics, gamblers and drug addicts could be bribed. Womanisers, homosexuals and sex offenders could become victims of blackmail. Whoever wasn't smart or capable was redundant. Theodore took great care at keeping what he called quality personnel in the gang. Whoever couldn't make the cut was not accepted.

"I just want to hear your thoughts about the upcoming job." Theodore said.

"Well, I believe it could be a real bullion. Such opportunities don't show up every day. We would be settled for life if we pull this off." Bryce said first.

"True, there are risks and my EMP's have a chance of not working as well as intended, but this is too good of an opportunity to just pass up." Douglas addes.

"You are both right boyos. Success could help us expand our business and failure will likely destroy us. But no one succeeded without daring to risk." Theodore said.

"If it's the job you worry about boss, you can calm down. Me and the lads are ready and we practiced the ambush, hijacking and we have firepower in case things go like shit on a stick." Bryce tried to make a remark to calm the nerves of the boss man.

"Heh, this isn't about the job or the gang even. It's about you two. You both are too gifted and capable to waste your talents as gangsters. The galaxy is huge and you can find something better while you're still young." Theodore stated.

"Like what? We don't exactly have any high connections or serious diplomas. For Christ's sake, Douglas is still a teen. We just don't have any chance better than this." Bryce said. Theodore just smiled and Shepard immediately knew were it was going:

"My sources say otherwise. I learned from an officer that 2 years ago, right when Douglas was arrested for killing that psychotic wanker Arlington, a hunter was there. He took a great interest, too much to be a mere coincidence. I learned that he offered you a chance to be trained as a hunter, am I right Doug?" Theodore asked Shepard. Douglas knew that he couldn't refuse that. Theodore was telling the truth:

"Aye. A wanker named David Anderson visited me while I was in chains. He said he was impressed by me for killing someone at my 13 while unarmed. He also said that he knows about me real family." Shepard said. Now it was Theodore's turn to be surprised:

"Really? What else did he say?" Theodore asked. It was Bryce who answered however:

"He said that because Douglas's family was in the service for more than 2 centuries, he must also serve in the army. I believe it's complete horseshit."

"To conclude, there is no way I'll join them after what happened to me dad. My real father is gone and I know nothing about me mother. I will not abandon me family for a godamn witch hunt." Shepard added.

Theodore just shook his head with disappointment.

"Keith never told you what really happened, right?" he asked them.

Both boys looked at him confused.

"Thought so. It was a really fucked up situation. I served with him you know. We knew each other. We weren't really close, but we were in a first name basis you know." Theodore started, the 2 boys were shocked to hear that from the leader of the Reds.

"It was at the ending of the rebellions when me and your father were deployed to Pluto. A whole battalion deployed to capture an eezo mining complex which was in enemy hands. It was our job to liberate it. Unfortunately, the local enemy garrison was well hidden and many fell victims of the ambush. Me and your father were the only ones left alive from our squad. We eventually found more and with 40 men we started cleaning enemy buildings using flamethrowers. It worked pretty well for sometime, until we heard screams from a building we burned and went inside to investigate. I went inside with Keith and I hope you never see something like what we saw..." Theodore's voice became sad and grave. He took a deep breath, a swig from his beer and continued:

"... burned bodies everywhere. Most of them were bloody civilians. There were even children among them. All burned to a bloody crisp. Keith was the one who torched that particular structure. He went bloody insane when he saw that. He charged at the last enemy bunker, screaming like a godamn banshee. The bloke wanted to die for what he did. He only got shot in the leg..." Theodore's voice became hoarse. The 2 brothers were looking were stunned by the revelation.

"... after that ordeal, your father was discharged for psychological reasons. Category 6. He started drinking, trying to forget that image. Later, I was discharged too. I discovered that he met a certain woman, your mother, who made him better. He never told her about what happened and I believe you won't say anything about it too, right?" Theodore made the boys promise not to talk.

"We won't say anything, but what does this have to do with us and joining the army?" Douglas asked. Theodore patted Shepard's back and smiled:

"Me and your father were young, brash and arrogant. We thought that we could do anything we wanted. War was a game for us, until that incident made us realise the cruel truth. You two however, you are far more mature and cool headed. Especially you Doug. Keeping your powers hidden and in check taught you remarkable discipline, eh?" Theodore chuckled to the flabbergasted expressions of Douglas and Bryce.

"H.. How did you find out?" Bryce asked.

"Simple. A few years ago, Keith came here. We drank a few pints and he started blabbering. He told me about how he found you Douglas, your levitation trick and a few other stories." Theodore finished and took another sip.

"So, now what?" Bryce asked. Douglas was quiet. He didn't like what he heard about his adoptive father. He did feel bad about him, but it would take some time to accept this new knowledge.

"Now, get ready for tomorrow's job. When it's complete, you can make your new plans for how to proceed with your lives. But work comes first." Theodore said and signaled at them to go. Both the boys nodded and left.

End flashback

25 September 2172

"Alright, the EMP's are in place. Spike team, you copy?" Theodore said over the radio.

"Spike team in position. The spike strip is ready to be deployed. Repair team, what's your status?" Finch asked.

"Tools, tires and gravity pads present and accounted for. Watch team, come in." Bryce replied.

"Waiting on the rooftop, no targets so far."

Duncan said. The plan was simple and efficient. One team would destroy the tires and grav pads of the vehicles to immobile them. The repair team would then hijack and repair the vehicles while the watch team would provide fire support just in case. Soon, the 3 vans arrived. It was now or never.

"Arm the EMP's and deploy the spike strip."

Theodore ordered. It was done just before the vans turned into the alley. When the vans hit the spike strip, their tires bursted. When they were immobiled, the EMP's fried the grav pads, ensuring that the vehicles wouldn't budge an inch without repairs. The EMP's worked brilliantly and soon the repair crew started the repairs while the spike team were keeping the captured drivers under control. Shepard, who was with the repair crew, was working like a machine. In less than 2 minutes, he repaired a van by himself, using a custom device of his own design. A combination of terran PDA processing power and an integrated non-sentient AI with the features and repairing capabilities of the Citadel omnitools. A real masterpiece Shepard called the omnipad. One of its kind and only he could operate it by using his powers:

"Boss, the repairs are finished. Spike team is driving the vans to the drop off and we have the real drivers hogtied and unconscious. Did the boys on the rooftops find any threats?" Bryce asked.

"No. You are clear. Good job lads. This is a mighty fine day indeed." Theodore said, visibly relieved from the textbook operation he planned. It always felt good for a plan to go well, but this called for a serious celebration.After they stashed the goods to the lot, the gang went back to the Carp to in high spirits. The booze was flowing like water and everyone was laughing, cheering and joking, just like when they were celebrating a victory of Liverpool:

"A TOAST TO ME LITTLE BROTHER DOUG! FOR HAVING THE GUTS AND BRAINS WE CLEARLY LACK. HEAR, HEAR!" Bryce proposed and raised his beer mug.

"HEAR, HEAR!" the rest shouted and clinked their glasses. Shepard liked the praise, but always preferred to avoid attention, both because of his powers and because of Anderson who was likely watching him. Still, Theodore allowed Shepard a small can of beer, telling the old bartender James to let the boy feel like a man a bit. The grizzled barkeep agreed, like many times before. Besides, what could go wrong with one can? Suddenly, an explosion followed by a tremor caused the whole block to tremble. Glasses, chairs, even those you were inebriated fell to the floor from the force of the blast. Shepard's senses went to high alert. What happened? A bomb? Everyone was close to the verge of panic, until Theodore shouted:

"QUIET DOWN EVERYONE! JAMES! OPEN THE EMERGENCY CHANNEL!" The barkeep opened the television to channel 16, the terran emergency broadcast. The emergency broadcast was used in cases of almost any dangerous situation to inform the viewers of what is happening to their area. Soon, the banner of Earth under the 3 pillars, one blue, one red and one yellow, was replaced by a voice announcement that was calm and professional, clearly to make the listeners less likely to panic:

"Attention listeners. This was a meteorite strike that just hit the city of London. Emergency services have been notified and will deploy shortly. All affected civilians move to the marked relief centers." The broadcast was replaced by a map that showed the locations of were the relief centers were currently built and the areas that were affected by the meteorite. One particular location made Bryce and Douglas go pale from horror.

While the destruction of the London military HQ was tragic, one fragment hit the Memorial hospital, right were their mother was examined by their sister to ensure that her health was good.

"We must go Bryce! The services won't reach them as fast!" Douglas said and pulled Bryce by the hand. It would be hilarious, a teen pulling a young adult like that, but Bryce was a bit dizzy from the drinks and Shepard was the sober one. In about ten minutes, they reached the hospital, which was heavily damaged. Blaring sirens and people pulling victims out of the rubble everywhere. Nancy and Janet weren't among either the injured or the volunteers and medics.

"We have to get inside. The building looks ready to collapse. If they stay inside any longer, they are done for." Shepard said urgently. Bryce nodded, and they both moved towards a relatively intact part of the hospital. Shepard checked around and used his powers to lift a piece of rubble that was blocking the entrance. They both moved inside. The lights were flickering and some places were too dark, so Shepard switched on the flashlight of his omni pad, while Bryce used his old lighter.

"Can you see them Doug?" Bryce asked quietly. He actually meant if Shepard could feel the presence of Nancy and Janet. Shepard shook his head, so they went to another floor. Douglas's head snapped like he was hit by cold water.

He immediately bolted towards the end of the corridor, Bryce following close. Behind a set of heavy looking doors, a calm, female voice was talking. It was muffled behind the doors, but Shepard could hear the thoughts:

"...don't worry, you will live..."

"..it hurts, it hurts..."

These thoughts belonged to Nancy and Janet. There were also 3 other thoughts that belonged to more injured. Clearly, Janet kept them under control. So, they entered and saw their mother, being tended by Janet, and 3 other injured people.

"Finally! Some assistance. Come on, help me out!" Janet barely paid any mind to her siblings, completely focused at safely moving the patients to a safer location, away from the piece of ceiling that looked ready to fall. There was none of her mirth when she was operating mice or sewing back body parts of dead people. Gone was the glint she had in her eyes when she was researching and experimenting. Only stone cold professionalism remained, which made the 2 brothers nervously look at each other and assist their sister afterwards. Bryce and Douglas used their shirts and 4 broomsticks to make a makeshift stretcher, successfully evacuating everyone, including their mother, who was unconscious because of the painkillers Janet gave her to alleviate the injured woman. Thankfully, she was stable, the same for the other 3 victims. They were all moved to the closest trauma center next, Janet kept working on other injured while Douglas and Bryce helped at tending to other victims, setting up tents and fixing some equipment. 2 hours later, their father arrived. He was relieved to see everyone alive. Nancy also woke up and she looked better, despite her bandaged arm and neck brace:

"Thank god you are alive. I was scared out of me mind." He said as he hugged them.

"Father, what the bloody hell happened? Did they say anything on the news?" Bryce asked.

"Aye. The news said that this meteorite strike was a terrorist attack." Keith said.

"What? Who did it? And how?" Bryce asked.

"The batarian hegemony isn't as dead as it appeared. They are behind it. I don't know many specifics, the news say they detonated a small asteroid so that the fragments would hit London military HQ. The armed forces are on high alert. So don't do any more odd jobs. We have enough money for now at least, eh?"

"Dad, I'm going to enlist as a medic." Janet said, taking everyone by shock.

"What? You serious sis?" Bryce asked.

"Very. This is my chance to broaden my horizons. I almost forgot there were aliens. In the army, I will be able to both be helpful and secure a few cadavers for my experiments." she said and started chuckling. Here was the mad scientist persona again.

"I can't really stop you Janet. At least you will be tending to the injured in hospitals and warships, so you won't be in much peril." Keith said and hugged his daughter.

"Father. I have to join too. This was an attack at home turf." Douglas finally said.

"Why? You know what they will do if they find out you are a psychic, don't you?" Keith was shocked to hear that from Shepard. He was the one who was completely against the idea of joining the army. What changed? Shepard lowered his head slightly and explained:

"2 Years ago, when I was arrested for killing that psychopath Arlington, a bloody hunter swinged by. He said he was impressed and said I could become a hunter. They are granted more freedom than the rest of the army."

"A HUNTER? Does he know about..." Keith was cut off by another voice:

"Yes, I do." Anderson appeared out of seemingly nowhere, startling everyone except Douglas, who felt his presence just a few seconds ago.

"Like he said." Shepard added nonchalantly.

"And to answer your other question Mister Mandrel, no. The secret of Shepard's capabilities is still secret. Since he really wants to become a hunter and I was the one to recommend him, I will also be his trainer." Anderson continued.

"Wait you posh wanker. How can I trust you? I don't even know yer bloody name." Keith interrupted.

"Of course, pardon my manners. My name is David Anderson. I am a member of the Hunter Division and I took a great interest to the capabilities of your adopted son. A DNA test confirms he is the son of Sebastian Shepard,one of the best CISP operators and last of the Shepard family, which served for more than 2 centuries."

Anderson answered.

"And what happened to the lad's parents then?" Keith asked. He always wanted to learn why would a man abandon his child.

"Sebastian disappeared under unknown conditions in London, about 13 years ago. There are no traces whatsoever. No body, no evidence, nothing. About his mother, I asked Sebastian himself who she was. I never got an answer." Anderson said.

Keith sat on a chair to wrap his mind around this whole debacle. First his daughter wants to become an army medic, then his adopted son gets an invitation to the Hunter Division? This day kept getting crazier by the minute.

"Are you sure about that lad? If you accept, there is no turning back." Keith warned.

"I have to. It was an attack on home turf. If I can put an end to this, I have to do it. The batarians nearly took away me mother and sister and killed who knows how many in this attack. They played with fire and I am the coming burn." Shepard answered in a resolute and steady voice.

"Heh, that's my boy. If you really want to give hell to the galaxy, who am I to stop you?" Keith smiled and patted Shepard on the back.

"Don't worry baby brother, I will stay here to protect them. Also, take this." Bryce said and pulled out his 4 inch pocket knife.

"You probably gonna need it more than me. I have another one for me." Bryce gave the knife to Shepard.

"Come here boy say goodbye to your mother." Nancy said and hugged Shepard with her good hand.

After the pleasantries were exchanged, Douglas followed Anderson to a black vehicle. It looked like a buggy, but better armored and with a beefier engine. They both went inside and Shepard made gis first question:

"When do we start?" he asked. Anderson just said:

"There is no need to hide your powers anymore. Just get the answer you seek. Shepard obliged and saw only one word.

Now.


	21. Initiation

1st January 2175, 0000 SET

NAME: SHEPARD, DOUGLAS

RANK: TRAINEE

LOCATION: SIBERIAN STEPPES, REDACTED

COORDINATES: REDACTED

STATUS: ALIVE

Shepard was dressed in protective winter clothing, armed with a VSK .408 sniper rifle, an Intratec 10mm submachine gun and his father's revolver. After 3 years of harsh training in combat, survival and physical conditioning under Anderson, Shepard had to do one more thing to become a candidate for the Hunter Division. While officially hunter training began from age 18, unofficially, almost all hunters, including Anderson, started at a much younger age. These 3 years were both rewarding and challenging for Douglas. While he wanted to gain knowledge and strength, his body, mind and soul were strained near the breaking point. Training in the swamplands of Vietnam, the deserts of Sahara, the Himalayan mountains, the radiation infested Chernobyl, an uncharted tropical island, the freezing wastelands of the Antarctic and now the icy steppes of the Russian north, turned his body into an extremely resilient vessel, but the process was painful, exhausting and haunting. Lack of food and water, local infections, occasional attacks from wild animals, adverse weather made Shepard's hard times in London, including the fights, lack of heating, sickness and occasional lack of food, look like they were nothing. Anderson was saying:

"The first hostile you must beat is the environment. Then you can focus to the enemy."

At these locations, Shepard was first tutored by Anderson at the different conditions and survival techniques, then he went through brutal training exercises to strengthen his body. Then came the martial arts and melee weapons training, then the firearms. Shepard took a great interest in his father's revolver. He trained endlessly with it. Since his childhood years, he always watched westerns and read about the gunslingers of the Wild West. In the end, thanks to both his improved nervous system and an experimental gene therapy, he could draw, shoot and holster in 0.09 seconds and hit the target from 50 meters away. The real challenge however, was that Anderson put a dampener on Shepard's head. That device significantly weakened Shepard's abilities, forcing him to develop and improve his other senses and read body language:

"Use your powers as a tool, not a crutch." Anderson was saying.

While it sucked, he already learned how to keep his abilities in check, so Douglas got over it quickly. He would learn how to use his powers more efficiently in the actual hunter training. To conclude, Douglas Shepard became a truly dangerous adversary from a young age. He could lift up to 150 kilograms with his bare hands, he could run at about 35 kilometres per hour for an extended period of time, he was agile enough to scale trees, mountains and buildings very quickly, smart enough to create tools and weapons from junk and tough enough to survive almost any form of physical or mental abuse. One close call earned him a long scar on his left cheek and nose, right under his eye. But, back to the matter in hand. Shepard's last test was to eliminate a Chinese mob leader who was hiding in the Siberian steppes, a mountain master, with the dampener still on. While Shepard's mind secretly adapted at the dampener and he could feel the presence of others, read thoughts and even use his psionics, albeit weaker than normal, he wanted to prove to himself that he could accomplish the mission without them.

So, he was watching the enemy gang compound for 2 days now, learning the schedule of the guards, the shift changes and made the proper arrangements to make the mission a success.

The third day was the time for action. He spotted a total of 20 armed hostiles, 4 of them on the roof with sniper rifles. The rest were more relaxed and kept their guns holstered or next to them. So the snipers had to go first. Also, he had to stay unnoticed or the target would get in the hidden panic room and blow up the rest of the compound:

"Alright, step one, eliminate the snipers.

Shepard monologued and used his own silenced rifle to kill all snipers. He needed only 3 bullets cause one of his shots killed 2 in a row.

"Step two, lights out." he activated the EMP he hid in the generator 8 hours ago and all the lights flickered out and died. There wasn't much panic cause the cold made the old generator break down once before. So, 4 more guards went out to the shed to repair it, only 1 of them having his gun ready. Easy pickings. 2 shots and they were lying dead on the snow, all from headshots, without a noise. 8 down, 12 more to go.

"Step three, flush out the prey." Shepard managed to capture a bear that attacked him the previous day. He kept her tied a hundred meters away. Now he would put it in good use. Shepard gathered some of his urine in a bottle and used it to mark a scent trail right into an unguarded part of the compound. He then shot the piece of rope that kept the bear tied to a tree. As expected, it followed the trail right into the compound. By that time, Shepard repaired the generator himself. Then he waited for the rest of the guards to start screaming. He settled in the shadowed part of the old birch tree he used as a sniping spot and watched the windowed part of the house. Soon, 3 unarmed guards came face to face with the bear. They started screaming immediately, angering the bear which pounced on them. Shepard almost laughed at the sight of them being flailed like ragdolls, but he stayed focused on the job:

"That's 11 down, 9 more." he monologued.

Soon, the rest of the guards were trying to fight off the roaming bear. 2 of them got their guns quick enough and successfully killed it. That moment, the target finally showed himself. He looked about 60 years old, walking with a cane and had a scar on his chin, classic mob boss. He started barking orders to the shaken and battered mobsters, even hitting one with his cane. They bowed and obeyed at the order that Shepard interpreted as 'Remove the corpses you useless animals'. Or something like that. Anyway, that left 2 with the big bad boss while the other 6 were struggling to drag the collosal animal out of the house. One of them went to the roof to call for help. All he got was a bullet, courtesy of Shepard. The others managed to eventually push the dead bear out of the main door, which was the only door big enough for both the corpse and the ones who were pushing it to pass. Too bad there was one of Shepard's favourite traps there. Douglas found a few nightshade flowers and wolfsbane 2 days ago. One of Anderson's lectures included medicinal and poisonous plants. The nightshade could cause insanity and the wolfsbane was a slow killing plant. The combination of them could create a concoction that would first drive the victims mad and then kill them. So, Shepard modified his original dart trap with poison laced darts. One tripwire and ready. 2 people, one of them was the armed one, who were walking forward, were struck by the trap. They both started writhing like their bodies were on fire, holding their heads, the armed one with the weapon still in hand. One of the worried guards tapped the armed person on the shoulder and was pistol whipped by the now screaming thug. They tried to snap him out of his madness, but all they managed was to get into a fight, which attracted the target outside, along with his lackeys. Perfect.

"Step four, eliminate." Shepard said to himself. One steadying breath, one gentle squeeze on the trigger and the head of the leader became a fine red mist. The remaining 8 were too busy to stop the ones who were crazed to even acknowledge that their leader was dead.

Shepard took a picture with his trusty omnipad and disappeared into the night, without a trace.

Later, the same day...

Shepard returned to the safehouse. Inside, the first thing that greeted him was Anderson's gruff face, which strangely looked a bit softer than usual. Shepard could barely read his thoughts because of the dampener, so he asked:

"The mission was successful Anderson, you need me for something else?" Anderson expression hardened again for a bit, but he quickly recovered. He looked almost like he was smiling:

"Ignoring the fact that you don't call me by rank, I consider your initiation mission a success. You are eligible for the hunter division boy." he said and patted Shepard's shoulder. Douglas wasn't at all shocked at the news. He worked and trained very hard the last 3 years and knew that he would pass. But still, he had the courtesy of thanking Anderson for mentoring him:

"Thank you sir, but considering the fact that I am not yet part of the army, how can I address you with rank? I do respect you, but I also believe everyone is a soldier regardless of rank or army branch." Shepard stated. Anderson laughed at that and answered:

"Looks like you know how to use your words as weapons too. Always having a retort ready, even against a superior officer. Diplomacy shouldn't be underestimated Shepard. It may save you a lot of trouble, bullets and explosives." They both sat down next to the fireplace, Anderson pulled out a bottle of british brandy and 2 glasses. He filled them both and gave one to Douglas:

"Happy birthday Douglas and welcome to the Hunter Division." Anderson said and they both clinked glasses. Suffice to say, one glass after the other, they soon were completely plastered and started sharing stories, jokes and laughs.

"Really now? A bear? Maybe you want to work in a zoo instead?" Anderson slurred and laughed.

"OI! It worked ya bloody wanker. It was also fun to see them gooks being maimed by it." Shepard retorted, also in a slur.

"Oh, oh. Maybe a herbologist. Using poisons and plants. You don't really look much like a tree hugger thought." Anderson teased again.

"Anderson. You should definitely become a freezer. Your jokes are probably the reason Siberia is so cold." Shepard joked.

They both laughed and kept drinking until they both passed out. Shepard woke up first at noon. He pushed the bear carpet off of him and stretched for a bit. He did develop a resilience to hangovers because of his increased metabolism after being exposed to several illnesses and the exotic foods he had to eat at the different environments he had to survive for weeks.

Sure saved at hangover pills and Anderson's god awful anti hangover recipe. Sure, cold water on the face, 100 pushups and a black coffee were sensible for this situation, but there was the last ingredient, which Anderson added in the coffee, that annoyed Shepard:

"Ah, for fuck sakes Anderson, that shit is for the guns, not you." Because Shepard once again witnessed the fourth ingredient Anderson used for the hangover. Gunpowder in the coffee. And he drank it like it was just water:

"If it's good enough for my gun, it's good enough for me." Anderson, of course, said like it was the most normal thing in the world. Next to the now empty mug were 3 empty bullet casings of the 7.62 mm diameter, which belonged to Anderson's beloved ADK 45. A reliable piece of Soviet engineering, despite being older than mud. A few improvements made it come in par with its modern counterparts, without changing the exterior much. Anderson found it buried in the same taiga they were now when he was a hunter in training, many years ago, and pried it from the frozen skeleton of the previous owner. Just like Shepard and his Ruger, Anderson took that weapon at almost every mission and was very good at using it:

"My consumption habits aside, you remember what I told you about your powers?" Anderson asked. Shepard huffed and answered:

"Yeah, don't rely too much on them, keep them hidden for maximum effectiveness, come on now Anderson, you drilled that in my mind 6 ways from Sunday." Anderson got used to Shepard's lack of protocol and proper manners, but he knew that his demeanor would prove problematic at the upcoming training years. While Shepard possessed discipline, his upbringing in the London slums taught him to treat the authorities with disdain and have respect on the individual level, not to rank or cause anyone served. He once said to Anderson 3 years ago:

"If you want me respect, earn it. Demanding will get ye nothing from me."

Anderson didn't like what he heard, so he put Shepard through a horrific 8 week training course, meant for undisciplined and rebellious recruits, to see how long he could take before breaking. Running through mud and rain, intense hand to hand combat, being shot with rubber bullets, suffering from swamp fever to name a few of the activities. Only 2 percent of the those who went through the infamously nicknamed 'Cancer removal' endured the whole 8 weeks without serious physical injuries or mental breakdowns. Shepard was the youngest of this 2 percent to pass this grueling 'character building' training course, but only unofficially because that training wasn't exactly legal, let alone ethical, but director MacLeod wanted hardened men into the ranks of the terran army and navy. When discretion was ensured, such practices were still uncommon, but widespread and anyone who passed such training with flying colours was considered one of the best:

"This time I am more serious Shepard. You will begin your official training at Camp X under colonel Klaus Färber. Also, try to keep your attitude in check, that guy can do worse than me." Anderson pleaded.

"Like everybody else, he will have to earn me bloody respect. I don't just give it away like candy at whoever I know, especially stuck up pencil pushers and namby pamby pricks who think that rank makes them bulletproof." Shepard stated angrily.

"Okay then, your funeral. Now, let me remove your dampener, no need for it anymore. Also, I called a shuttle that will get you to Mars. How do you feel about going into space and then another planet Doug?" Anderson asked as he went to retrieve the removal tool. When he found it, he returned to the sitting room, only to find said dampener in Shepard's hand:

"To answer your first question, already done. Also, I don't really feel anything about going to space or another planet. Don't take me wrong, I was always interested to see what's out there and visit other planets or even see aliens, but right now, I am focused on the task at hand." Shepard said.

"Damn Shepard. Sometimes you act as a hot headed teenager, other times you almost sound like a war veteran. You are unpredictable and that will serve you well in the battlefield and life. But be careful of politicians and other officials. They will be afraid of your potential and try to either use you for their agendas or bury you." Anderson warned. Later, a shuttle arrived. It was a blue and white Chirashi transport, almost identical to the sudden transports of World War 3. Out of it came 2 people.

One looked like an officer, he had the colonel insignia, the other was dressed in a grey armor and hooded cape, with yellow visors installed on the helmet. Shepard immediately set his powers to the lowest level. Despite never seeing another psychic in his life, he learned from Anderson the army and navy uniforms of every terran forces cadre. This one was definitely a psychic commando. The last thing Shepard needed was to get stuck with them. He trained too damn hard to become a hunter and if that blighter got a whiff of his potential, he would be sent to the Mars facility under that crazy bitch, Yuriko. Despite the trust all psychics enjoyed from the armed forces, the intelligence agencies and the scientific community, the rest of humanity still distrusted psychics because of their powers. Forcing his thoughts aside, Shepard waited until the 2 figures got inside the lodge. The officer first greeted Anderson with a handshake. He had a German accent and Shepard was almost certain that man was colonel Färber:

"Douglas Shepard, I heard a lot about you from Anderson. I believe we will get along just fine. Now, are you ready to become a real hunter?" Färber asked as the 2 shook hands. Shepard knew the hidden meaning of this. That deadbeat was looking for cracks. Too bad for him Shepard wouldn't provide him anything:

"Of course, when do we start sir?" Shepard answered, without breaking eye contact or hardening his facial expression:

"Then pack up your stuff and follow me, no need to waste anymore time. Lieutenant Anderson, the top brass decided your promotion to Captain for a very important mission. Another transport will be here soon. Oh, and Shepard, not a word about what you heard." Färber ordered.

"I am sorry sir, not a word about what?" Shepard asked. The Colonel's facial expression showed satisfaction and a bit of amusement too. The only one who stayed eerily quiet was the psychic commando. Shepard really wanted to see what that blighter was thinking about, but he had to keep his wits together and not allow the psychic to delve in his memories, by creating mental illusions. He went to pick up his personal belongings, said goodbye to Anderson and headed towards the shuttle along with the colonel and the commando.

"So, what now sir?" Shepard asked when they were inside.

"Now kid, we wait." Färber said, without really answering the question.

AN

Sorry for the late update, but I was really busy. Anyway, that's how Shepard will become the best ass kicker in the whole damn galaxy. Coming next, Elysium shore leave. You know what's gonna happen.


	22. Shore leave gone to hell

8th October 2176

Petra Nebula, Elysium, Illyria

Shepard was on shore leave in Elysium after a year of training in Camp X. There he learned more about weapon use and modification, use of mass effect weapons, hacking and programming. Next year, he would learn driving land vehicles, fighters and even power suits. But now, he and the other lads got a well deserved break. Shepard, along with 2 of the remaining 35 candidates from the hunter division, went to the Illyria, the capital city of Elysium. Originally, the new batch of hunter candidates started with 110. Most of them dropped out after Hell's week and 5 died at live fire training. Even Shepard got a bullet at the shin. Luckily for him, it was just a flesh wound. Now, the ones who were still in training, just wanted to drink and relax for these 2 weeks of well deserved shore leave:

"OI barkeep! Get us 3 pints, me and the boys are thirsty!" Shepard called to the bartender, who happened to be a batarian. It almost felt like the Red Carp back to Earth, but with a few asari, turians, a couple salarians, 2 batarians and even 3 krogan in the mix. Shepard wasn't really fazed from seeing aliens, but he wanted to see if he could read their thoughts. There were no psychics in the vicinity, probably not even on the planet, so he let his psychic abilities loose. After making his presence as inconspicuous as possible, just another human sipping his beer, he delved into the minds of the aliens, learning their languages, names, occupations and even some of their skills and memories without anyone noticing. He would put his newly acquired knowledge to the test another time, know Shepard wanted to enjoy his time off:

"Hey Doug, you want us to play poker with these dudes over there?"

The question came from that giant of a man Darren Phillips, probably the best hand to hand combatant in the hunter division cadets, but completely unlucky in poker. Next to him was Jane Redding, skilled at hacking and engineering, resident biotic and problem solver:

"Come on now Darren, these clothes are army equipment and you are almost the size of a krogan. You will get us bankrupt at this rate." Shepard teased, earning a giggle from Jane and a laugh from Darren.

"Don't worry so much Shep, worst case scenario, you win like most times and return our money." Jane said. Shepard, thanks to his abilities and skill to reading facial expressions was the best at poker from everyone else. He got quite a fund set up from all the games:

"Well remind me, why couldn't I just play alone and keep all the winnings for myself?" Shepard asked.

"Come on now Dougie, I'll make it worth your while." Jane said with a seductive tone, putting her hands on the table and leaning towards Shepard. A seduction attempt. While Shepard enjoyed the view, he wasn't such an easy target:

"Heh, I am slightly tempted but not enough." Shepard refused.

"Hey, what if I made it worth your while?" Darren joked. Jane laughed at that and even Shepard was amused:

"If you even think about doing it, I will punch your teeth so far down yer bloody throat yer gonna need to stick a toothbrush up your ass to clean them." Shepard made another of his creative threats. He was using them for fun mostly, so Darren and Jane just laughed:

"Haha, that was a good one Shep! But seriously now, you will be the first from us to beat aliens in poker. This isn't a chance you want to pass up, is it?" Jane asked pointedly. She knew that Shepard always was up for challenges, the more difficult the better:

"Alright, I'm sold. Empty your pockets and watch how it's done." Shepard said as he stood up and drained his beer mug. The 2 fellow cadets put all their funds on the table and collected them. Earth and all terran colonies were still using the fund instead of the credit as the rest of citadel space. Its worth was slightly than that of the credit and, despite the fact it could be exchanged, it was only acceptable at terran territories. The volus especially were pretty pissed at that because this hindered the citadel stock exchange and made the coalition immune to having its companies claimed by aliens or becoming a target of economic warfare. Shepard headed to the poker table, his colleagues following close behind. At the table was a pile of credits and funds and 4 players, one asari, a batarian, a krogan and a salarian were currently playing:

"Hey humans, you look lost." The batarian quipped at them. Shepard just smirked and shot back:

"Oh right, I was looking for good poker players and only found a bunch of amateurs. Goodbye." He said and turned away, only to be called back:

"Hey, wait a minute kid. Show us how you play if you are so skilled." The salarian talked this time:

"Don't worry, we will go easy to you. Besides you are still young and inexperienced." The asari teased Shepard:

"Experience is overrated blue squid. Also, as you wish frog." Shepard said and saw the facial expressions of both the asari and salarian harden from anger. Shepard laughed inside him as he sat on the vacant chair. It was the turn of the krogan to deal. First, Shepard played defensively to gauge the facial expressions of his opponents. The asari was the easiest to read with her humanlike expression, the salarian twitched involuntarily when bluffing the krogan gulped everytime he had a good hand. The batarian was the hardest to read, but nothing that psychic abilities couldn't handle. After 8 turns, the asari quitted. 5 more rounds, the salarian. In the 21 round, only Shepard and the batarian remained. The pile became really tall and the whole pub was watching with bated breath. Shepard decided it was time to play a trick. He started doing a cyclone spin with one of his cards. The batarian immediately focused there, trying to see what the card was, allowing Shepard to trick the mind of the batarian into thinking he got the right number while, in fact, he was wrong. Shepard had a straight ready. The batarian went all in, believing that Shepard was bluffing. They both slapped their cards on the table. Shepard's hand was better:

"I win." he declared. The human spectators including Darren and Jane, went into a frenzy of hoots and applause.

The batarian was completely lost:

"Bu... but, you had a 6." he said. Shepard grabbed the card, that actually wrote 9, and started spinning:

"It's called an optical illusion lad, look it up." He then turned to the other players:

"Don't feel bad, you were beaten by the best, me." Shepard said and showed himself at the last word. He and his friends gathered all the money. The batarian then started screaming:

"YOU CHEATED! GIVE ME MY MONEY BACK!" The guy looked ready to brawl and the 3 krogan immediately stood up. Talk about sore losers:

"Calm down lad, you lost fair and square. No need to make a ruckus out of it, right?"

Shepard knew he could easily use his powers to calm the batarian down, but seeing a batarian awoke bad memories. The very night he decided to become a soldier after nearly losing his family. So, he instead used his powers to agitate the batarian, causing him to launch into Shepard and thus triggering a full-blown...:

"BARFIGHT!" screamed one of the human

patrons before being slugged on the face by another human. The asari poker player used her biotics to throw a chair wielding turian through the window, a salarian broke a bottle at the head of the second batarian, while Darren was trying to fight against a krogan. Shepard managed to knock the batarian aggressor out cold and went to help Jane fend of a charging krogan by lifting and throwing a table. The hit actually made the krogan stumble and clutch his head in pain. Shepard immediately put the krogan down to stop the blood rage from kicking in. Darren, at the same time, was beating the other krogan senseless, successfully pining him down and using him as a punching bag.

Looks like even a krogan couldn't stop Darren when he was angry. The fight abruptly stopped when an alarm sounded. It was neither police sirens nor a fire alarm, it was an invasion alarm:

"ALL CIVILIANS HEAD TO THE UNDERGROUND BUNKERS! THIS IS NOT A DRILL! ALL ARMED PERSONNEL MOVE TO YOUR ASSIGNED POSITIONS!

The announcement made everyone in the bar stop dead on their tracks. An invasion?

Who would be stupid enough to invade terran territory? Shepard was almost certain who it was:

"Come on lads, it's open season." he ordered, offering his hand to help Darren, who looked surprisingly well for wear after his scrap with the krogan, get up:

"This day turns better and better Shep." Darren said as he stood back on his feet again:

"Hey guys, have a look at that." Jane said and showed them surveillance footage on her wrist tablet. It showed batarians, turians and even asari, capturing and loading up people in transports while another video showed a vicious firefight between 2 squads of SMACC troopers who were holding against a whole platoon of enemies. Only one kind of criminal was in this kind of trafficking business:

"Fucking slavers, just when this was supposed to be a relaxing time." Shepard said while grinding his teeth from anger:

"Wait boss, we have to get weapons and armor first." Darren reminded. Shepard showed him his now trademark revolver, knife and ammo forge:

"Just wait till they drop and scoop their hardware." Douglas said and went to the area where the SMACC were engaged. He sneaked behind the enemy's position. They were unaware of his presence, a perfect chance to strike. One by one, Shepard started by killing, first a lone turian sniper with a stab on the throat, then a heavily armed batarian. Now Jane had a rifle and Darren a grenade launcher.

They positioned themselves and waited for Shepard to lure some enemies for an explosive ambush:

"Shepard, we are in position, we could really use some target practice." Jane said first:

"Same here boss, primed and ready." Darren answered next. Shepard sent his acknowledgement and moved to the bigger group of enemy soldiers. He took his revolver and shot one, seemingly their leader, to the head. He saw him collapse and the bewildered slavers looked for the shooter. They immediately started barking orders and shooting their weapons. Shepard shot 7 more enemies at rapid succession and then retreated to lure the other 12 in the trap. When the time was right, Shepard shouted:

"NOW, SIC THESE BASTARDS!" And Shepard's companions opened fire. The slavers, except 2, were completely decimated, some tossed by biotics, others

turned into bloody splatters and the rest shot. Shepard grabbed the injured survivor, an injured turian mercenary. The uninjured one, an asari in her early maiden years, was watching with fear and uncertainty:

"Listen up you worthless wanker. You will tell me where the prisoners are and I'll let you live, so start talking." Shepard threatened. The merc didn't really look fazed, despite his injuries covering part of his face:

"Fuck off human!" he said with a raspy voice. Shepard pulled out his knife and shouted:

"WRONG ANSWER!" He then started stabbing the stubborn turian repeatedly, earning a gasp from his compatriots and a terrorised scream from the asari. Shepard had to show cruelty and brutality to get the information he wanted without using his powers. After turning the turian into a pincushion, he turned to the asari, face and hands covered in blue blood. He pounced on her, held his knife on her throat and said in a menacing tone:

"Same question. If you don't answer it..." Shepard showed the corpse of the turian.

The poor asari was now scared out of her wits. Between sobs, she gave the coordinates of the rally point. Shepard however wasn't done yet:

"Thank you for the information. I will let you live, but you should consider choosing a better career path." And he proceeded with carving a scar on the poor asari's face, her protests and screams not fazing Shepard one bit. When he was done, she now donned a long bloody scar, going from her forehead over the eye and down to the chin:

"A little reminder of your day in Elysium." Shepard said and left along with Darren and Jane, who were shocked at his brutality. Sure, Douglas could be violent and aggressive in sparring, but he never showed such cruelty before:

"Hey boss, weren't you a bit too hard back there?" Darren asked worriedly:

"We didn't have enough time for an interrogation lad, so I scared the asari shitless to make her squeal. As for her keepsake, maybe it will help her put her shit together and do something about her current life choices." Shepard answered.

The 3 moved towards the now relieved SMACC troopers. Their leader, a female staff sergeant, came forward to greet them:

"Staff sergeant Zofia Grunyev, thanks for saving our asses. Are you 3 in the armed forces?" She asked, noticing that see was looking at 3 unarmored humans who looked barely 20 years old:

"My name is Douglas Shepard. These are fellow hunter cadets Darren Phillips and Jane Redding. You're welcome." Shepard answered without bothering himself with protocol. The other troopers started murmuring between themselves at the mention of hunters. Their murmurs were quickly silenced by Grunyev as she received new orders:

"Troopers, new assignment. We have to reinforce the north garrison. We move out in 5 minutes." she ordered:

"Whoa, whoa, hold on a bit. What about the ones who were captured by the slavers?" Darren asked, moving forward with his hands raised at chest level:

"Sorry, but I can't provide any assistance. However, a squad of 6 went dark around that area. Here, let me send you their frequency." Zofia said and used her wrist tablet to send the data to Shepard's omni-pad:

"3 hunters against a shitload of slavers. What could possibly go wrong?" Jane sarcastically said.

"There is plenty of wrong in this place already. This mess needs to be cleaned and we are the best for it. The slavers think they are big shots because they dared to attack a terran colony. Wait till they get a load of us." Shepard tried to rouse the spirit of his 2 companions.

"Alright, let's get this party started." Darren said, more jovially than before.

"So, we have a plan or we go in guns blazing?" Jane provided a valid point.

"Step one, we scout their positions." Shepard stated. The 3 reached their destination. There were about 40 enemies, plus 5 who were loading the captured civilians. To make matters worse, among the captured civilians were also the 6 SMACC troopers Zofia told them about. They were currently being loaded into a mobile platform filled with cages. Shepard borrowed Jane's sniper rifle and watched through the scope:

"Alright, the transport isn't filled yet. If me and Darren can cause a big enough distraction, you could sneak in there and free the prisoners. You up for the task Jane?" Shepard asked. Jane smiled and answered:

"Of course baby, just please make the distraction big enough, I don't want my ass shot or hauled into one of these cages." Jane said half jokingly. The 3 split up, Douglas took cover behind a piece of rubble, Darren garrisoned a nearby 3 story building, grenade launcher at the ready and Jane went around the target location, opposite of her companions, and waited for the show to start. She didn't have to wait long, Shepard started by picking a few stranglers and disposing of them quietly. He really was a master of stealth, killing more than a dozen of slavers without being seen or heard, Jane was almost mesmerized by the show:

"Showoff" Jane monologued and moved closer now that the outer perimeter was clear. Closer to the transport, the enemies where more numerous and there wasn't enough cover for Shepard to employ stealth, so he just waltzed in the front, revolver in hand, and started shouted:

"WELCOME TO ELYSIUM YE BLOODY WANKERS! SAY HELLO TO MY FRIEND RUGER!" He emptied the 8 shot revolver in less than 2 seconds on the surprised enemies and dived back to cover to avoid the retaliatory gunfire and reload. Having the rest of the slavers in hot pursuit, Shepard hopped from cover to cover and straight to the ambush point. Jane now had her chance to free the captives. She disabled the locking mechanisms of the cages and more than 50 prisoners went out. The 6 SMACC troopers got some guns and went outside to meet their rescuer:

"Lance corporal Daniels, how can we repay the favor ma'am?" The head trooper asked. The answer was distant gunfire and explosions:

"Arm yourselves and move! We will hit the slavers from behind!" Jane ordered and ran towards the firefight, the troopers following close by. Meanwhile, Douglas and Darren were holding against at least 20 angry slavers armed with automatic weapons:

"TERRIFIC PLAN SHEPARD FOR GETTING US SHOT!" Darren shouted as he shot another grenade:

"QUIT YER WHINING! JANE IS COMING WITH REINFORCEMENTS! JUST KEEP SHOOTING UNTIL THEY COME!" Shepard answered back:

"I ONLY HAVE 2 GRENADES LEFT!"

"THEN STOP USING THE LAUNCHER UNTIL THEY GET OUT OF COVER!" Shepard ordered. True to his word, less than half a minute after Darren swapped to using his assault rifle, the slavers, who thought he ran out of grenades, charged forward, only for Darren to swap back to his grenade launcher and blow up more than a dozen of them, making a few fly away from the force of the explosions. Shepard took the chance and finished of the rest just as Jane arrived with the reinforcements:

"Aww, you didn't leave anyone for us?" she teased:

"What can I say? First come, first serve. Anyway, what's the situation in the other sectors?" Shepard asked lance corporal Daniels:

"Well, the bunkers are secure and you 3 destroyed the last slave processing point. Most of the ships they used for the attack have been neutralised and the rest of the slavers are still holding around their transports, probably to escape. Nothing to worry about, last I heard, our boys are pounding them hard, we will get them within..." Daniels was interrupted by the sound of an afterburner engine. Soon, 2 Mantis gunships arrived:

"GUNSHIPS! TAKE COVER!" Shepard shouted. Before anyone could react, the gunships opened fire. Darren pushed Shepard away at the last second and was turned into swiss cheese, along with Jane and the troopers:

"NO!" Douglas shouted in anguish. He just laid down for a bit, all his sadness washed away by one emotion. Rage. Shepard's grey eyes became blue and shiny as he started levitating above the ground. The gunships didn't fire, they were shocked stiff from what they saw. Shepard looked at the gunships and raised his hands towards them:

"DIE!" He shouted, his voice amplified by his powers, which were now completely unleashed. He grabbed the 2 gunships, in his invisible grip, before they could escape and slammed them violently on the ground. Still seething with hate, he collected the dog tags of the fallen and checked the wrist tablet of lance corporal Daniels. He got the locations where the fighting was still heavy, armed himself and went to the first location. He charged right to the ranks of the slavers with such speed and ferocity that they barely managed to hear his last words:

"YOU WILL DIE SCREAMING!" With his revolver and an automatic shotgun, he killed 25 pirates in less than 10 seconds while dual wielding, much to the astonishment of the SMACC troopers who were fighting for at least 10 minutes:

"Follow me, there are more slavers to kill." Shepard ordered. Among the troopers was also Grunyev's unit. Everyone, thanks to Shepard's aura of influence followed him. Unknown to Douglas, his current feelings actually influenced the troopers, making even the troopers angry:

"Perfect" he thought. With renewed aggression, Shepard and his team of SMACC troopers relieved the other Elysium defense squads one at the time.

Douglas was always at the front, rousing the troopers and mercilessly slaughtering the slavers. In the end, only one enemy stronghold remained. Nearly the whole Elysium defence force was now under Shepard's temporary command:

"FORWARD! TAKE NO PRISONERS, SHOW NO MERCY!" Douglas ordered the troopers, his powers making them more submissive, while his rage was awakening a combat fury, like that of the ancient Norse berserkers, that put even the krogan blood rage to shame. Shepard charged forward again, the bullets seemingly unable to hit him. He stabbed a krogan until death and went inside the, still landed, transport spacecraft, the last hope for the slavers to escape the rampaging hunter and his pack of madmen. Shepard killed everyone inside the craft, except the captain of the transport, a batarian:

"Who organised this invasion?" Shepard asked without raising his voice. He could delve in the mind of the batarian, but he preferred the old fashioned interrogation this time:

"Fuck you humaAAAAAHHHH! he didn't manage to finish his sentence and Shepard ripped the batarian's right upper eye:

"Who organised this invasion?" He asked again with a raised voice:

"Is that all you goAAAAHHH!" The upper left was out now:

"WHO. ORGANISED. THIS. INVASION?" This time he almost screamed, the batarian was in a lot of pain, but answered:

"E..Elanos Ha..Haliat. Pleas..e let me g..go." The batarian pleaded with a weak voice:

"Of course." Shepard said with an uncharacteristically soothing voice. One quick thrust through the skull later and the last slaver was dead. Shepard spit on the corpse, got out of the ship and saw every trooper cheering and hollering for their victory. Unlike them, he just left and went back to the pub. He poured a generous dose of whiskey and drank it in one gulp. He refilled, then sat on the first intact chair he could find and stayed quiet, recounting the events of tonight. His stupor was interrupted by someone Shepard recognised. It was an asari with light purple shin and a fresh scar across her face, the one Shepard made:

"Bad day?" She asked nervously. Shepard just grunted. She however pressed on:

"Are you ok?" She asked again. The asari didn't know why she was actually talking to that monster, she just felt like it. At least, this time she earned an answer from the man responsible for massacring so many slavers, the butcher covered in blood of so many different colours, the monster who gave her the scar:

"Do I look okay?" He asked in a hoarse voice. Shepard really didn't care. The battle was over and he didn't have a reason to kill the annoying asari:

"What happened to the others who were with you? She asked and pulled another chair for herself. Now Shepard felt a rush of anger, but he kept it in check. He took another swig and answered:

"Dead. A couple of gunships killed them." He still said in a monotone. The asari really felt bad about Shepard and tried to console him:

"I'm sorry for your loss." She said and put her hand on Shepard's shoulder. Instead of pushing her away or telling her to leave, Douglas started laughing. It was aloud, almost insane laugh, but a laugh nonetheless:

"Hahaha, you know what's funny? The lads I rallied to fight against the slavers didn't even think of asking me if I am okay. And here you are, asking me that exact thing. Not only that, you also feel sorry. Tell me, did the scare I gave to you harm your brain?" Shepard laughed again:

"My brain is fine, I just wanted to thank you. You could have killed me, like you killed all the others, but you didn't. You actually gave me a chance for a better life. Maybe I can work in a bar instead?" The asari answered, slightly insulted at Shepard's remark:

"If you really want to work in a bar, can you get me a whiskey refill please?" Shepard said and waved his empty glass. The asari just brought him the whole bottle and got another glass for herself, much to Shepard's amusement:

"You are a quick learner lass. There's still hope for you it seems. By the way, Douglas Shepard." Douglas said and extended his hand for a handshake, which the asari took:

"Niralya B'sern pleased to make your acquaintance. Where and for how long did you train to become such a fighter? Even asari commandos would find it difficult to beat you." she asked.

"About 5 years. I can't tell you where, but I am a cadet for the hunter division." Shepard answered. Niralya was shocked at the revelation:

"Hunter division? THE hunter division? You are part of the military cadre that even the spectres eye with envy?" Now it was Shepard's turn to be confused:

"What? The citadel spectres look up to us? I thought they are the elite of the galaxy." he asked.

"My mother is involved in military politics. She was always telling me about the hunters, how they make the spectres look like amateurs, how they get the job done and disappear without a trace. She really wants to see a hunter in action. She knows so much, yet so little..." Niralya's enthusiasm deflated and then she continued:

"...I miss her. I was looking for adventure and got stuck with a slaver gang instead. She must be so ashamed for me." She also drank a bit to calm herself, but grimaced as the hard liquor hit her stomach. Total lightweight:

"Hey, how old are you?" Shepard asked.

"Only 87, still a baby by asari standards." she answered.

"That's great, you still have time to fix things with your mother and also become a better person. Trust me, age and experience isn't the same. I am barely 20 and already have a shitload of experience. Remember, in life, you must be able to stand your ground and fight." Shepard advised.

"You are right. Oh, if you know how to play poker, I have a deck of human cards with me." She asked and showed an expensive and well designed poker deck. Shepard showed her a fat stack of credits and funds he won at the game he played at the same pub just ten hours ago:

"And I have the chips." Niralya was again astonished:

"Whoa, where did you get all that money?"

she asked:

"From a bunch of amateurs who I played with at that table over there..." Douglas said and showed the battered poker table:

"They were pretty reluctant to take the defeat graciously." He added with a laugh, making even the asari laugh. They clinked glasses and shared more stories and laughs while playing cards...

AN

Sorry for killing Darren and Jane, but this is war. Full of chance and anarchy. So cherish what you have because you never know what the next day might bring.


	23. Of directors and councillors

The slaver attack on Elysium wasn't a singular event. Many raids happened on terran territory at the same time, the most devastating at Mindoir, by pirates and gangs under Elanos Haliat, an infamous gang lord of the lawless Terminus Systems. The raids resulted in relatively low casualties, but a lot of collateral damage. The terran coalition and its citizens were enraged at that display of, what the directors called, arrogance and insolence. A speech was made about the, now called, Skyllian Blitz, from Director MacLeod:

"The terminus systems became a haven for criminals and gangsters because of the Citadel Council's unwillingness to take decisive action. Now, humanity paid the price for their reluctance. As the council proved completely incompetent at handling the threat, the board of directors agreed to dispatch 3 patrol fleets to the borders between the terminus systems and the terran territories and we are currently investigating who was responsible for the Skyllian Blitz. Standing orders are that every pirate or slaver found inside terran territory is to be captured and hanged. This is a message to all of the scum of the galaxy. Stay out of our territory or die in it. Also, to all the men and women of the terran coalition. Do us proud out there soldiers. We rely on you."

Hunter in training Douglas Shepard, for his excellent performance and bravery, was awarded the star of Terra in a great ceremony by Admiral Steven Hackett and was personally congratulated by director MacLeod himself. The gesture increased morale and enlistment rates by a large margin. Director MacLeod's speech however strained the relations between the citadel races and the terran coalition, terrified the terminus gangs and roused the Free Batarian Democracy to increase their defensive capabilities. A breakthrough between humanity and batarians gave way to a new type of fighter craft. A bastardisation of the MiG one manned strikecraft and the Mantis gunship, the new Howler 2 manned siegecraft could be used as a strikecraft, a ground support craft and could also deploy to a walker form as a long range siege mortar and missile launcher, much like the VX and the Pacifier FAV from WWIII. A true jack of all trades, the Howler was tested in multiple missions against pirate strongholds close to Terran or Batarian Democracy territories. The tests proved completely successful and the Howler officialy became part of both militaries. The batarian hegemony, which was furious for the loss of so many funded pirates and slavers, made an assassination attempt against prime minister Grothan Pazness. The attempt failed, but the assassin managed to evade capture. Back to the matter in hand, the continuous protests from the council forced the directors to attend in another leadership meeting on the citadel. It was publicly broadcasted and went down like this:

6th April 2177, Citadel Presidium

"Welcome directors to the Citadel. We are pleased to see that you take the issues that surfaced seriously." Tevos greeted the 5 directors:

"What issues? Where your colonies assaulted by slavers too?" asked the new colonial director Erika Wagner, as director Alexei Ivanov died from a heart attack nine months ago. Also, Mary DeWalt, director of the civilian sector, retired from her position and was replaced by a synthetic, Hannibal Morrow, who was well disguised to avoid unnecessary attention. This left Espinoza, MacLeod and Omega from the director board that met with the council 20 years ago. There were changes to the citadel council also. Turian councillor Quilio was replaced by Sparatus , while Valern took over after the salarian councillor Zerok died. Only Tevos remained from the original council that negotiated with humanity the first time:

"No, but the speech of director MacLeod caused a lot of controversy and..." Tevos was interrupted by the aforementioned director:

"CONTROVERSY? YOU CALL MY SPEECH A FUCKING CONTROVERSY? DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT HAPPENED TO ELYSIUM OR MINDOIR? HOW MANY DIED OR WERE KIDNAPPED IN THE SKYLLIAN BLITZ?" The directors and the councillors quickly learned that it was better to let Wallace 'Motormouth' MacLeod have it his way when he was arguing, both because of his infamously short fuse and the fact that he had a valid point. MacLeod however, in his fifties now, got sore throats and couldn't shout with the same intensity and as frequently as before, so he continued at a lower voice:

"If my memory serves me well, I am sure that slavery is banned in council space, but according to director Espinoza here, there have been more than 20 raids just the last year at asari and turian colonies. About 1000 were kidnapped and forced into slavery, yet you just stay idle. I mean, what happened?" MacLeod let the question hang. Spararus, who wasn't exactly the biggest fan of humanity, answered:

"Nothing happened, we just can't afford to start a war without concrete evidence."

He said.

"Then search for evidence, use your fabled STG, pay the Shadow Broker through the nose, use your spectres. So many choices." Espinoza countered.

"We can't just spend so many resources at leads that could be false. There is no need to hunt for ghosts." Valern answered.

"That's the problem dear councillors. We aren't looking for ghosts. We are on the prowl for criminals, the ones who launched the raids to our colonies. And when the rest are captured, their corpses will hang from a noose" Director Wagner shot back.

"What do you mean the rest? And what does hanging means, it wasn't in the data pack you gave to us." Tevos reminded. A shine came to the eyes of director Morrow as he heard it:

"To answer your first question dear councillors, our armed forces already attacked a few pirate outposts and kidnapped some high profile criminals and slavers. It is just a matter of time before we assault the rest of their strongholds.

Also, hanging is an old method of execution, used for more than 1000 years. This is how it works. The victim has a rope tied around his or her neck and then..." Hannibal instead of continuing, showed the councillors with his wrist pad's holo projector. The video of 5 batarians under a long pole, all with a rope around their necks, said ropes tied around the pole, and standing on kegs. Then they had the kegs pushed from underneath them. After that, the scene of them hanging under the pole, desperately trying to breath, then falling limp, gave chills to the spines of the councillors:

"A..Are you humans that barbaric? Even the krogan aren't as insane as you! This is completely unacceptable! We demand you to stop this cruel practice RIGHT NOW!" Tevos finally had too much. The directors stood silent for a bit. Then they started cheering and laughing, much to the confusion of the council. MacLeod, still laughing, went forward and shook Tevos's hand and said:

"FINALLY! At long last you found your guts! This is the kind of decisiveness we humans respect and the one this council needs." Tevos was shocked and the other councillors looked each other, unable to understand what happened:

"What? Was this a test of some sort?" Valern asked, less confused than the others:

"Exactly, we wanted to see your collective breaking point. Your pride makes you too oblivious at admitting the problems that fester because of your indecision." Director Espinoza confirmed.

"Back to the matter in hand then, you made us look bad in public and caused unnecessary chaos amongst the associate members of the Citadel species. How will you help us rectify the situation?" Tevos asked.

"Actually, we already did. In the previous outposts, we found a lot of slaves. Asari, turian, salarian, human, even a few quarians. We freed them and they just need to go home." director Omega said:

"And how does this help us? The freed slaves will still say that the Coalition freed them." Valern said:

"You bring up a valid point councillor Valern, so with some help from the Batarian Democracies, director Omega made a little visit to a raider outpost that currently has about 50 slaves. Long story short..."

"Whoa, whoa, sorry for interrupting, did you try to negotiate with the pirates director Omega?" Tevos asked. Yuriko just smiled and answered:

"Not exactly, let's just say that I like to blow of some steam from time to time." Then she raised above the ground and twirled. Tevos almost smirked. She fully understood the real meaning of the answer and asked:

"Is it wrong that I almost feel sorry for the pirates?" Tevos asked. MacLeod chuckled at that:

"Not really. Besides, she didn't kill anyone..." He continued on a lower voice:

"...I have a video of what she did down there. If you want to watch it I haAAAA..."

MacLeod was pulled away, towards the other directors by the powerful psychic. She kept him suspended mid air and said in a chastising tone:

"After 50 years of age and about 20 in the board, you still behave like a teen." MacLeod just took a suprised face and mocked Yuriko:

"Hey, you giggled like a schoolgirl when you were tossing the pirates around like ragdolls and you're mocking ME?" This caused a laughter by Yuriko and the other directors chuckled at the display, even Tevos smiled at what she saw. Only Sparatus couldn't handle it anymore:

"ENOUGH! I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS! Will you tell us what your plan is or is this whole meeting a joke to you? I just don't get it, why are you so childish and immature? So many responsibilities and a whole species under your leadership, yet you act like infants!" Again, MacLeod, now lowered back on his feet, shook the hand of Sparatus:

"And the second to finally snap. As an added bonus, you asked the right questions. This is turning out even better than I hoped. Maybe we will make fine leaders out of you." He said and went back:

"What, again with this?" Sparatus almost growled:

"Now, where were we... ah yeah, the slavers. Long story short, after Yuriko beaten the crap out of them, she erased the memories of the captives and replaced the captors with batarians who now act like they are the captors. All you need to is to storm the outpost, provide a show and free the prisoners. Don't worry about accidents, we told them to load with dummy rounds." MacLeod finished. The councillors thought for a bit. Yuriko didn't need to read their thoughts to know the answer:

"It is a very good offer and very considerate of you, but we cannot afford to give the hegemony or the terminus systems a reason to retaliate." Zerok answered. How predictable. The eternal excuse. Fear of the hegemony or the terminus systems to retaliate. Luckily, Espinoza prepared for this unavoidable occurence:

"Come on now councillors, you really thought we leave a job half done? I paid a little visit to Aria T'Loak myself to make sure she keeps her dogs leashed. As for the hegemony, we turned the captured pirates into sleeper agents. They won't tell a soul about what happened to them and they feed us valuable information as we speak." Espinoza explained:

"Isn't it dangerous for a person of your position to go into that lawless space station?" Tevos asked:

"We humans have a saying: 'Want something done right, better do it yourself.' Just because we have high positions doesn't mean we shouldn't get our hands dirty from time to time." Director Morrow answered this time:

"And how did that meeting go director Espinoza?" Tevos asked.

"Well..." He started reminiscing...

Flashback, 3 weeks ago, Omega, Afterlife

The music was loud, the asari were dancing on the poles and the booze flowed like water. Business as usual in Omega as Aria was sitting on her couch. The day was mostly uneventful. There were a few disputes and another case of poisoning, but nothing out of the ordinary. She was sipping liquor from a shot glass, thinking about the next day:

"Serrice ice brandy, a fine choice indeed."

The voice was male and sounded old, but eerie and spine chilling. Aria nearly choked in her drink and was sent to a more alert stance immediately:

"Who are you? Show yourself!" She demanded. Her guards moved inside to find the trespasser, only to be knocked out by some unseen force in less than 3 seconds. Aria was about to flare her biotics, only to have a knife on her throat, and a voice behind her, whispering in what looked like her ear:

"Now, now. No need to cause unnecessary panic, right dear? Besides, if I wanted you dead, we wouldn't have this conversation, would we?" Aria nodded, with a bit of difficulty, and the knife was taken from her neck. Behind her was a man in black body armor with a visor mask that covered his face, Aria identified him as a human:

"Who are you and what do you want?" She asked again, this time less confident than before. The human removed his mask and revealed a man with slightly dark skin, graying hair, a short beard and amber eyes. He made a slight bow and answered with a smile:

"Director Gigiermo Espinoza, at your service. I am very pleased to make your acquaintance miss T'Loak." Aria was now intrigued. Someone sneaking inside her own club undetected, knocking out 4 of her guards effortlessly and even catching her unaware meant business. But the most notable thing was the way he talked and his manners. Right now, back to the matter in hand:

"And what sort of service do you provide?"

Her question made that old bastard's smile even wider:

"Wouldn't it be better if we discussed the rest like civilised people, sitting on the couch?" He asked. She nodded and they both sat on the couch, Aria with the window on her back and Espinoza at the other corner:

"The services I provide Miss T'Loak are various, ranging from mundane idle surveillance to toppling governments. By the way, this is quite a nice couch, leather?" Espinoza said while caressing said couch with a gloved hand:

"I don't have time for compliments and word games, so tell me what you want and what you offer in exchange." Aria demanded, her patience running out. Espinoza just sighed in disappointment:

"As you wish. I am certain you heard about the raiders who attacked the terran colonies, right?" Aria nodded and Espinoza continued:

"Well, us it turns out, all these pirates where under the command of Elanos Haliat, a good for nothing turian pirate lord. All I want is you to ban him from Omega and put a bounty on his head. Don't worry about money, we pay handsomely." Aria knew that the offer was good. Besides, these raiders did cause her some trouble, both in gang wars and power grabs. It was a good chance to take Haliat out of the picture entirely, but she wouldn't agree at any deal, no matter how good it was, to the first offer. She didn't become queen of the outlaws by being soft after all:

"While it is a good deal, I already have a lot of credits. You got to do better than this, I know you can." Aria said with fake nonchalance. Espinoza just chuckled. Did he laugh and smile just to creep Aria out? Or he was too insane to take it seriously? Regardless, he showed 3 images on his wrist pad, the left was a human, then a krogan, the lastly a batarian. Aria recognised all 3 of them, something that Espinoza caught up:

"As you see, my boys are keeping tabs to everyone, including you, your allies and your enemies. I picked the worst of the bunch as targets. All you need is to say which you want dead. Be warned however, each dead target puts an additional condition to the deal." He said before Aria could answer that she wanted all 3 dead:

"What conditions?" She asked through her teeth:

"I can't say them until you agree." He answered playfully. Aria finally had enough of it:

"IS THIS ALL A GAME TO YOU? TELL ME WHAT I WANT TO..." She snapped on Espinoza, raising from her seat, her biotics at the ready. He just took something that looked like a black brick from his satchel. When Aria saw it better, she spotted a keypad and a few wires. Before she could stop him, Espinoza armed the explosive device and left it on the table:

"WHA... WHAT ARE YOU DOING YOU PSYCHO?" She asked, voice trebling with rage. Luckily, no one heard them through the soundproofed room:

"This, miss T'Loak, is a high yield explosive device, capable of levelling an 8 story structure. As you see, the timer shows 52 seconds until it detonates. Don't try running away, you will just die tired. So, please, tell me who you want dead before the Afterlife turns into a distant memory along with us." Espinoza answered, his smile not leaving his face:

"YOU'RE INSANE! DISABLE THE BOMB RIGHT NOW!" She screamed. Espinoza was unfazed. He reached his right pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes and a golden lighter. He lit one:

"You smoke?" He asked, offering one to Aria. She just knocked it off his hands and grabbed Espinoza by the collar:

"TURN IT OF RIGHT NOW!" She screamed at him:

"Of course, just tell me who you want dead." Espinoza answered and took another drag from his cigarette. Aria was now out of patience. A human disrespecting her like that, in her own damn club? Completely and utterly preposterous. She tried to shove him, but Espinoza just slapped her hands away and got her in a painful armlock. Aria tried to escape, but couldn't:

"Aria, Aria, you are wasting your energy. Please, all you need to do is choose who you want dead. You have 15 seconds left."

True to his word, the digital counter showed the number 15, and it was counting down. Finally, Aria cracked:

"Alright you maniac, I want them all dead, happy now?" She asked. Espinoza released her:

"The deactivation code is 0000." He answered and sat back to the couch. Aria deactivated the bomb at the 4th second and went back at her spot on the couch, her breath heavy. Espinoza just lit another cigarette:

"Can I have one please?" Aria asked. Espinoza smiled and merrily offered her one. He lit her cigarette up and kept quiet for a bit, until Aria regained her composure:

"Now, could you please tell me the conditions director Espinoza?" She said with as much politeness as she could:

"Gladly miss T'Loak. All I want is your word that if you do capture Elanos Haliat you will bring him alive, a glass of water and a bottle of good Thessian red wine." He answered. Aria's eyes bulged out of her sockets:

"WHAT? YOU...YOU..." She nearly launched herself from the couch, but remembering what happened before, she continued with a lower voice:

"...you stirred so much trouble for this?" Espinoza shook his head:

"No. I just wanted to teach you a few lessons. One, never be rude with people like me. Two, you must learn that, for lack of a better term, I can fuck with whoever I want, whenever I want and wherever I want. Three, and most importantly, you are just so much fun. The undisputed queen of Omega being outmanoeuvred by an insane psychopath, losing her cool and squealing like a child. I just love it." Espinoza's answer sounded more enthusiastic at the third part and made Aria cringe. A waitress arrived with a glass of water and a wine bottle. Aria shooed her, as Espinoza drank the water and put the bottle in a deep pocket. He stood up:

"Alas, I must take my leave now. Have a nice night." Espinoza bowed and disappeared, leaving the now inert bomb, his lighter and his cigarettes. Aria saw a paper note under the pack. 'The targets will be dealt with within the hour. You can keep the bomb, my cigs and the lighter. I believe you will need them more than me'

Back to the present...

"...and that's why the plan will work. The real slavers are brainwashed and now citizens of the batarian democracy while Aria will make sure that no one will retaliate. Perfect, right?" Espinoza finished. The councillors where slack jawed at the story. Were all humans that insane? Activating mass relays without caution, using nuclear weapons, possessing and considering AI's as equals and actually considering near death experiences, murder and mayhem as a way to have fun? Were they so absorbed in their madness? Valern thought and talked after the end of Espinoza's story:

"HOW ARE YOU NOT DEAD YET? HOW CAN SUCH AN INSANE SPECIES THRIVE AND CONQUER? HOW IS IT EVEN POSSIBLE?" The salarian councillor screamed. The directors just exchanged high fives and cheers:

"AND THE THIRD! BAG THEM AND TAG THEM!" MacLeod cheered jovially. When the cheering died down, Tevos gave council's answer:

"We decided to accept your offer. Despite being unorthodox, it is likely going to work if you organised it as well as you claim. Now, is there anything else we need to discuss? No? This meeting is adjourned." She said with finality. The directors bid farewell and left, except director Morrow:

"Before I leave, there is something I need to tell you." he said. Tevos who, after hearing all that stuff before, felt she was ready for everything Morrow would say:

"Let me guess, either you want to tell us to become more competent, more unpredictable or to begin researching new technologies on our own." She said. Morrow chuckled and answered:

"Not really. I just want to give you a little gift. The blueprints for the new Howler siegecraft." He showed the plans and uploaded them to Valern's omni tool:

"While the gift is welcome, why do you give it just like that director Morrow?" Valern asked:

"2 reasons. First, we developed it along with the batarian republic, so your STG would most likely steal it anyway. Second, this was just to make the shock that will follow less severe." The councillors, for the 5th time of the day, were confused:

"What fresh surprise you have for us now?" Sparatus said with a defeated tone:

"I just want to show you, that humans and synthetics are just as..." He paused and removed his face, revealing his bare frame, grey in colour, with slightly shining white eyes and all the human characteristics: "unpredictable, see?" The councillors where slightly shocked, but after all that happened before, they chalked it down as another example of human uniqueness:

"Wow, an AI replaced director Morrow. What are we gonna do?" Tevos said mockingly while putting her hands on her cheeks, earning a snicker from Sparatus and a slight smile from Valern:

"Heh, you will be pros in no time. Anyway, I have places to be and a hot asari chick to bang. Don't worry Tevos, your daughter is safe with me, adios!" He said and ran away. Tevos's smile disappeared and was replaced by cold fear. Was the guy serious? All Tevos could do was say:

"Let's go back to our homes. This day was frustrating to no end. And not a word of what Hannibal said, okay? True or not, keep quiet." Sparatus and Valern nodded nervously.

Meanwhile, somewhere else in the Citadel...

"Matriarch Benezia, thank you for the info. It proved very useful. And as promised, the video of everything that happened." A human said to the black clothed asari matriarch:

"This is just too good! Do you have any idea how long I tried to knock some sense into Tevos's head? More than a century. And you did it in only 1 day! I am in your debt. And the footage will be most entertaining to watch. Thank you again."

"Don't mention it. Just doing my job. Enjoy the vid. I know it was fun being part of it. I am gonna get drunk in the Chora's den. You wanna join? My treat." He asked:

"Maybe go to the Flux instead? I don't want to be seen in Chora's Den, too many asari dancers and I don't want to be mistaken for one." She refused the first offer:

"Flux it is then. Besides, I think you are far better at both dancing and looks." He complimented:

"Aww, you are terrible at flattering director Espinoza." She teased.

"It's not flattery if it's the truth, I saw you dancing." He added the second phrase at a lower voice, Benezia stood silent for a bit, then laughed:

"Haha, okay then, let's celebrate this small victory." She said:

"May it not be the last." He answered as they headed towards the Flux.

AN

Sorry for being late, again. As you see, this was a unique chapter, not based from the story, so I had to wait for inspiration strikes. Anyway, merry Christmas you magnificent bastards. Be unique and unpredictable, just like life truly intended.

If someone can give me ideas for a new crossover, well shoot. (except animes, I don't know shit about them cause I never watched any).


	24. Benched for now

13th July 2177, 2100 SET, Argos Rho, Phoenix, Fort Gyurza

"COME ON NOW SHEPARD, BEAT HIM ALREADY! I BET 20 FUNDS ON YOU!" Shouted Francis Belmont, one of Shepard's fellow hunter cadets:

"KICK THE KID'S ASS TOOMBS, I HAVE 50 ON YOU!" Shouted a SMACC trooper of the 22nd Mechanised corps.

What happened when Shepard and his team of fellow hunters were assigned to Fort Gyurza to lead them to this moment?

Flashback, 23 hours ago

After Camp X, the remaining 30, who by now completed the training courses, where now considered hunters, but had to serve alongside regular army units for 2 years in order to gain experience at working effectively alongside the other military branches . The cadets were separated in 6 groups of 5, Shepard alongside 4 more of his colleagues, were assigned in Fort Gyurza, which housed the 22nd Mechanised SMACC corps, also known as the 'Ground plowers', and the 13th Thanatonaut Regiment, all under colonel Vitaliy 'Steamroller' Strasskov, the polar opposite of Klaus Färber. Instead of being a strict disciplinarian who would put anyone in latrine duty just for looking at him wrong, Strasskov was far more lax and liked his soldiers to have a few laughs now and then. While he was a very capable officer and his men were excellent on the battlefield, as proved in the first contact war and a batarian raid, Strasskov's behaviour was at best questionable. He enjoyed officer life a bit too much to put it simply. One night, when Shepard and his fellow hunters were having a drink when inside the fort, Strasskov showed up and instead of screaming at them, like Färber would do, he just said:

"Just beer? Here, try some of this." And offered a bottle of vodka. Suffice to say, they were all shock still:

"Drink up comrades, we only have one life, enjoy it, that is an order." The hunters relaxed after that and obliged him. Except Shepard, who was too curious about this display. After training in harsh conditions and under strict instructors, he found it unbelievable for a colonel to be so undisciplined:

"That has to be the strangest order I have ever heard colonel. I like it." He stated, earning a laugh from Strasskov:

"Haha, you must be 'Gunslinger' Doug Shepard. I'm a fan of your work, you sure made the Hegemony piss their panties, right?" He asked joyfully. The rest were completely baffled. Sure, one thing for a high ranking officer to be lax, but he was far too casual to his subordinates:

"Uhh, sir..." Juliana Benitez, one of the few sentient AI candidates, was interrupted by the strange colonel, who didn't lose his smile at all:

"Now, now, there is no need to call me sir. Strasskov will do just fine, or colonel if you like to be more formal, okay?" Shepard started to like Strasskov after this statement. They opened the vodka and, suffice to say, all except Shepard and Juliana, naturally, were pretty dizzy afterwards:

"Anyway, I have places to be, you are free to drink as much as you want, just don't barf at tomorrow's war games." The strange colonel stood up and left, leaving the hunters silent for a full minute:

"Well, that was ominous as fuck, any theories?" Francis asked a bit later:

"Probably a paintball running course. He will put some marines (SMACC troopers) or a juggernaut thanatonaut to hunt us with paint bullets." Hector Gallard stated:

"Nah, most likely he will make us run a combat course in the mud. I saw it just a few hours ago, it has all the good stuff, even one of the new shockwave emitters to simulate artillery barrages." Agnes Jensen interjected:

"Mmm, it will be nice to stay behind you then and enjoy the show. These tights are going to look nice when wet." Francis remarked, earning a slap by a not so pleased Agnes:

"Will you ever grow up Francis? This joke became really old." She scorned:

"Why? It's pretty funny. I could watch you slapping Frank for the rest of my life and never get bored, haha." Hector answered, only to be punched in the nuts by Juliana:

"Owwww, not again." He said with a far higher pitch in his voice, while keeping his family jewels in his hands:

"You get what you deserve. At least the alcohol numbs your pain. Too bad it numbs your brain too." She answered:

"Don't worry sis, he doesn't possess enough of it after all. Drunk or not, not much difference." Agnes shot back and shared a high five with Juliana.

"You are just vexed because you can't get drunk and you're laughing at me?" Hector mockingly asked and dodged the punch that came from Juliana:

"Oooh, burn." Francis answered, grabbing the incoming hand that came as an answer from Agnes.

They continued drinking, talking and joking beside the campfire, more comfortably than back to Camp X. The 5 of them were real troublemakers back there, being screamed at by their superiors, especially Färber, at an almost daily basis. This time however, there was an oddity. Shepard was uncharacteristically quiet. He barely even drank any of the vodka that Strasskov gave to them, he was just sitting down, deep in thought. Finally, the silence caught up to the rest and they turned to Shepard, who seemingly acknowledged it:

"What?" was all he asked:

"You are awfully quiet Shep. Why the sour face? Did that asari girlfriend of yours ditch you or something?" Agnes asked, half serious, half joking.

After Elysium, Shepard ultimately accepted to help Niralya settle in Elysium. His new status as war hero opened a lot of doors and gained him many favours. Eventually, Niralya found a job as a sports commendator for the EUS (Extreme and Unconventional Sports) Channel. Gerald Laroche, the overenthusiastic and adrenaline addicted managing director of this small but ambitious extranet channel, was on Elysium that time. He was saved by Shepard, among many other would be slaves. Long story short, Niralya was interviewed, then subjected to Gerald's Extreme Adventures as an initiation ritual.

This included skydiving, a demolition derby and a motorcycle downhill, which she had to describe as enthusiastically as possible while being in the respective co driver seats. Surprisingly, she managed not only to hold her lunch, but also keep her wits and deliver some pretty, as Gerald quoted, badass lines. End result, Niralya got the job and her real past was safe and unknown to anyone, except Shepard. While thankful for his help, their relationship didn't evolve above a friendship, despite what Shepard's colleagues said:

"For starters, she is just a friend..." Shepard's answer just resulted in raised eyebrows and looks of disbelief. They didn't believe him. Who started the rumour that Niralya and he were a couple, he didn't know:

"...and to answer the original question, I think I actually know what the colonel is talking about." Know that got the attention of the squad. They weren't suprised, as Shepard always seemed to know what was happening. They were jokingly calling him a psychic, but he always found ways to persuade them that he was just smart and perceptive. If they knew that their original assumption was actually true...:

"I believe that Strasskov will pit us in an event called the Demolition Rally. Ever heard of it?" Shepard asked:

"The Demo Rally? That's my favourite show in the EUS Channel! It has everything! Tanks, explosions, mud and..."

Francis was interrupted by Hector:

"Woah, hold your horses dude, just give the summary version to those who don't know about it." Of course, he meant the 2 ladies of the group. They both glared at him, and Agnes talked first:

"For your intelligence, I saw a few episodes of that show, and I really liked the one with the wrecking ball which featured the Oyama twins." She said enthusiastically:

"Bah, they are rank amateurs compared to the Hammerhead duo. They are really awesome, for batarians I mean." Hector added:

"Don't know about you all, but I really like the commentator of the channel. The asari who is nicknamed 'The Blue Saint'. If I didn't knew asari were monogendered, I would swear she has balls of steel. Unlike someone else." Juliana said and looked at Hector. They were about to get in a fight, until Shepard intervened:

"Balls of steel aside, tomorrow we will be in the Demo Rally. So, let us enjoy the show, okay pumpkins? Also, answer my question. None of you knows who the blue saint really is?" He asked. The others looked each other and eventually shook their heads:

"Her real name is Niralya B'Sern, sounds familiar to you all?" He said with a smirk. Shepard's friends stared at him with wide eyes. Was it true, Douglas refused to have an actual celebrity as a girlfriend?:

"Dude, are you for real?" Hector asked, full of disbelief:

"Aye, the asari I helped find a job is the blue saint." Shepard answered:

"Shit man, and you're still stag? Hey, is she still single?" Francis made another one of his remarks. It was fun most times, but now Shepard was just bored. He yawned and stood up saying:

"Enough talking and drinking for the night lads and ladies. I don't know about you, but I recommend hitting the hay. Tomorrow will be full of fun and adventure, so I'm gonna get some shut eye." He left the others and went straight to the barracks. The rest stood there for a bit and then each went to their respective bunks after extinguishing the campfire.

The next day, 0500 SET

No matter the planet, no matter the starship or where they slept, hunters were trained to be awake at least one hour earlier than the rest of the population. Today was no different for Shepard and his team. At the crack of the dawn, they were up and exercising in the nearby woods. 100 push ups, 100 sit ups, 50 squat thrusts, climbing a 20 meter tree, 200 punches and kicks at said tree, 5 kilometres running and 100 pull ups before breakfast. It was 7 o'clock, but they didn't expect to find the mess hall bustling with so much activity that early though. They were definitely excited, most likely for the upcoming event. Strasskov was also there, encouraging the hoots and hollers even more. But when he raised his arms, complete and utter silence fell in the room. No wonder how he kept his position as a colonel despite his rowdiness. He started speaking using a voice amplifier:

"As you are well aware, today, we are going to host yet another Demolition Rally in the Mud Pit." A round of applause followed:

"Also, we have 5 guests of honor, who I am sure you all know and are afraid of, but no need to worry, they are in our side, GIVE OUR HUNTERS THE WELCOME THEY DESERVE!" He said and showed said hunters. All troopers assembled immediately stood up and started cheering and clapping, some even singing

their anthem:

"WE ARE THE GROUND PLOWERS, DON'T YOU FUCK WITH US!

CAUSE IF YOU DO SO, WE'LL POUND YOU IN THE DUST!

THOSE WHO ARE FRIENDS THOUGH HAVE NOTHING TO FEAR FROM US!

BUT IF YOU'RE AN ENEMY WE'RE GOING TO KICK YOUR ASS!"

And the crowd went wild. Shepard, for a moment, felt like he was back home at London, chanting along with the lads for Liverpool. These days, despite all the time that passed, were still fresh in his mind. He felt a wave of nostalgia, as he had years to talk to the lads or even his parents. Part of the training, a hunter must be able to endure being and working alone. It wasn't really difficult for Shepard to adapt, what caught him by surprise was the fact that he was the center of attention for so many people. He was taken out of his thoughts when the mass of people opened a way for Strasskov to pass. Once again, everyone fell silent:

"Now, the basics of the Demo rally for those who don't know..." he pointed at the group of troops that stayed quiet during the chant:

"...YEAH, I MEAN THE SALADS OVER THERE..." his remark caused another round of laughter from the seasoned soldiers:

"...the Demo Rally is a racing/fighting sport. 15 vehicles, each manned by 2 people, the goal is simple. Be the last duo standing. There are 4 types of vehicles. The buggies are fast and hit hard, but they need skill to be used effectively and are also pretty brittle. The hovercrafts are well balanced and versatile at every aspect, the half trucks are stable, boasting decent firepower and armor, but are a little hard to maneuver and finally, my favourite, the tanks are heavily armed and armored, but also slow and big targets for your opponents. The weapons are designed to only damage the exterior and certain compartments of the vehicles, so the crew don't have to worry much about serious injuries. Any questions?" Strasskov asked. Juliana raised her hand:

"Just one question. Who are the contestants?"

"Why don't you see for yourself? COME ON EVERYONE, TO THE MUD PIT!" Strasskov said and went outside, the assembled troopers following close by in remarkable order, Shepard and his team lagged behind for a bit. After a kilometer of walk, they started hearing the roars of engines, along with missile and cannon explosions. The view that greeted them was far better than the Demo Rally episodes they saw on the TV. A dozen of armed vehicles were practicing in the Mud Pit, a wide arena filled with large bumps, holes and, of course, covered in mud. Hundreds of soldiers were already assembled, cheering at the practice run. They looked like they were there for some time. So much for the hunters waking up earlier than everyone else:

"HEY FELLAS, LOOK AT THAT GREEN AND YELLOW HALFTRUCK, IT'S THE HAMMERHEAD DUO!" Hector enthusiastically shouted as said vehicle performed a corkscrew jump and landed perfectly:

"It's not just them, it's everyone. The Oyama twins, the Drunken Scots, Yin and Yang, Nakmor Brenk and Trosh, the T'Bani sisters, the Kaboomers, Hammer and Sickle..." At that point Shepard and the rest turned their heads towards the source of the voice. A young asari with a scar crossing her left eye. She looked happy to see a certain person, but didn't stop talking about the competitors after she took a breath:

"...the Volus crazies, Slow and Steady, the Knuckleheads and last but not least..." a multitude of explosions made her stop mid-sentence. A light tank, coloured in many different colours and covered in flashing lights, flew over 3 vehicles, using its cannon to literally soar to the skies. Every watcher, be it trooper, thanatonaut, hunter, fellow Demo Rally competitor or civilian, immediately recognised the craziest and, presently, only cross species duo in the entire Demo Rally scene. Theophilus King, a coloured guy hailing from the American Midwest, and Septivia Macritius, born in Palaven, daughter of none other but former councillor Quilio himself. Suffice to say, this unlikely duo became widely known for its controversial pairing, earning them the team name 'Bastards', which they wore as a badge of honor:

"...and let's not forget the Bastards, the craziest of us all." Niralya finished:

"Looks like you found your true calling Nir." Shepard commented. Niralya came closer and hugged him. While she was taller than the average asari, standing at 1.8 meters (5 feet 11 inches), Shepard was a bit taller at 1.88 meters (6 feet 2 inches), making the hug look pretty adorable, especially to Douglas's fellow hunters. A few awwws later, they broke the hug, both looking towards the group of giggling elite soldiers with a look so venomous that could make even colonel Färber flinch:

"What, nothing funny to laugh at? Did I fail to entertain you? Maybe I should start a clown dance or wear a fake red nose, huh?" Niralya asked in a cold, creepy voice, at the same time advancing towards the now terrified hunters. Hector was about to open his mouth, but decided against it:

"I see there is no problem then. So, how do you feel about the upcoming event?" Niralya asked, her joyful expression and voice returned:

"Question. Where are the last 3 duos? I see only 12 here." Hector asked, genuinely curious. The answer came by none other than colonel Strasskov:

"Simple comrades, you 5 will make the honors. You were trained at driving and shooting, no?" Shepard and Niralya expected this answer. The other 4 not really:

"Wait, us? Contestants at the Demo Rally?"

Agnes asked:

"Hot damn Doug, your instinct was correct once again." Francis admitted:

"Juliana, I call dibs at our team name..." Hector said, but was interrupted by the synthetic:

"No, we are not a duo, and no, I don't like the name Wildcats." She answered:

"Calm down, you are already paired. Juliana Benitez and Francis Belmont, you are team Leopard, Hector Gallard and Agnes Jensen, team Tiger, Douglas Shepard, because you are obviously too good to be paired with a hunter, you can choose both the team name and one of my troops as your number 2. Take your pick, we still have time." He stated, looking at his wrist pad for the time. It was 0730, 12 and a half hours to the start of the event. A few troopers and thanatonauts were assembled in front of Shepard after Strasskov whistled for them. They all looked like seasoned soldiers. Douglas could make it work:

"Which one of you believes is best suited to become my second in the Demo Rally?" Shepard asked. Nearly every assembled soldier raised a hand. Time for a new trick then:

"Alright, which one of you is the nastiest, meanest, toughest bastard to ever exist in this godamned galaxy?" Shepard asked again. This time fewer raised their hands, laughing at his remark. One of them, instead of joining the others, just spat on the ground, seemingly uncaring about the whole situation, but looking at Shepard very carefully. Douglas showed a finger towards him:

"What's your name soldier?" He asked:

"Andrew." He answered, not bothering to salute:

"Full name and rank?" Shepard asked again:

"Corporal Andrew Toombs." He said with complete nonchalance:

"Hmm, you're not much of a talker, eh mate?"

"I'm more of a doer amigo."

Shepard smirked at his remark. His instincts and psychic powers proved him correct one more time. This guy really was what he looked for. Toombs took part in many batarian raids and was actually commentated for personal bravery. Capable in driving vehicles, using weapons and knew how to follow orders, without letting military protocol stand in his way. Shepard had to ask why Toombs did so:

"Any reason you don't bother following the proper protocol?"

"Why the hell should I? I follow orders and get the job done. If these turian payasos spent less time saluting and more time getting mierda done, perhaps they would be more of a challenge in the first contact war." Toombs stated.

"Alright then Toombs, will you be my gunner for the event?" Shepard asked. Toombs thought for a bit:

"Okay jefe, when do we start?" Toombs said:

"We only have about 12 hours, so how about right now?" Toombs this time saluted and answered:

"Yes sir."

"It's settled then. You made a good choice Shepard. Go for a warm-up now, you're gonna need it." Strasskov ordered the 5 hunters and left. The other assembled soldiers who hoped to be picked were dismissed, some relieved, others unhappy, the rest with neutral expressions:

"The available vehicles are at that factory assembler over there. Choose whatever you prefer of the 4 types" Strasskov pointed at a nearby structure and left.

Start of the event, half an hour before the present...

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, IT'S WRECKING TIME IN THE MUD PIT. AS ALWAYS, WE HAVE MANY CRAZY CONTESTANTS, BUT TODAY FEATURES 5 HUNTERS, STRAIGHT FROM CAMP X. GIVE A HURRAH FOR THEM!" Niralya announced at the start of the match, making the assembled crowd of soldiers and civilians cheer and holler. She was wearing her signature blue flight suit and made sure everyone was hyped. Shepard and Toombs chose a halftruck as their vehicle. Armed with a quad autocannon on a rotating turret and capable of hitting both ground and air targets, the Soviet Commodore T-11 APC, descendant of the fabled Bullfrog transport, was one hell of a combat vehicle. Enough room for a driver, a gunner and 6 passengers, the Commodore kept its role as the main personnel carrier of the coalition's armed forces for more than 50 years, along the Imperial manufactured Suterusu type 61 carrier, the American designed M-122 Razorback IFV and the Dutch made Badger AFV-9. Back to the event, Shepard was a bit nervous. So many years of training either alone or in small teams made him dislike attention. Now, he was the center of attention for too many people and his psychic abilities made his head buzz because of it:

"Hey amigo, you ready?" Shepard was jostled back to reality by none other but his partner, corporal Andrew Toombs.

"Aye, I'm just used to be more cloak and dagger than the other wankers."

"Just ignore these idiotas pero, relax." Toombs adviced:

"Anyway, is the Commodore ready for action?" Shepard tried to take his mind away from the crowd:

"Si. All systems nominal, fuel cells fresh off the assembly plant, drivetrain and thrust nozzles operational and the turret can't wait to spread hot flak with love." Toombs chuckled at his joke:

"Heh, just try not to miss, we have limited ammo mate." Shepard answered. Toombs nodded and proceeded to start the engine.

A satisfying whirr meant the halftruck was ready for action. The duo prepared well despite the limited time they had till the start of the event. Of course, Douglas once again used his powers to get a bit more info about driving, not just from Toombs, but from all the drivers and did so without anyone noticing anything. Sure saved time learning, but experience had to be earned:

"Problem is, that red fish you painted on the truck is like an estupido target that screams 'HIT ME'!" Toombs didn't really fancy Shepard's idea of painting a big red carp on the vehicle, let alone naming the duo 'Team Carp':

"Come on now mate, I told you I was goddamn nostalgic. Besides, it sure adds flair, aye?" Shepard groaned as he answered:

"Yeah, whatever jefe." Toombs answered and went to his turret nest:

"RACERS, GET READY FOR RUMBLE! IN 3,2,1..."

Because of the sheer awesomeness and delightful violence of the following scenes, which include the Oyama twins blowing up the turret out of Nakmor Brenk and Trosh's tank, with Trosh still inside said turret, team Leopard making a corkscrew jump over 2 vehicles in their buggy, Yin and Yang were pushed and battered upside down by the Drunken Scots, and many other crazy stunts and shenanigan later, team Carp won after sending Hammer and Sickle in the junk heap with a well executed flip strike while mid air:

"WE HAVE OUR WINNERS! TEAM CARP IS VICTORIOUS WITH A BEAUTIFUL FLIP STRIKE AGAINST HAMMER AND SICKLE! A ROUND OF APPLAUSE EVERYBODY!" The assembled crowd obliged and a thundering applause was heard, along with cheers and whoops as the victorious duo exited the vehicle and... started bickering with each other. Soon, as they were moving towards the exit, it escalated to louder bickering. Niralya went closer and listened a few snippets:

"... I fucking told you to hold fire you bleeding idiot..."

"... cut the shit pendejo loco..."

"... the fuck ye called me ya motherless arse faced..."

"... I'll kill you if you talk about my madre..."

"... ye want to fucking die twat?" At this point, Shepard grabbed Toombs by his collar:

"NOBODY PUSHES ME AROUND PUTA!" Toombs clocked Shepard right on the jaw.

And this leads us to the present...

A fully committed fistfight broke between Shepard and Toombs, reasons unknown, with many placing bets around the 2 brawlers. Suffice to say, colonel Strasskov wasn't happy at this. Not one bit. When the fight was over after about 10 minutes, with both of them collapsing, Shepard from pain and exhaustion, while Toombs was downed from a couple of kicks to his head. They were both sent to the medical center to recover:

"Good news, the crowd thought that your little fight was just part of the show, congratulations for your win by the way. Bad news, I have to punish you for misconduct." Strasskov announced:

"Say no more. Latrine duty, here we come." Shepard answered, half joking. Strasskov chuckled evilly and shot back:

"No, I will not make it that easy for you. The coalition brass is escalating the raids against the pirate bases and fleets. As the merciful colonel I am, I believe you need to take a break from all the fighting..." at this point, both Shepard and Toombs looked horrified at what was coming:

"...while the 'Ground plowers' will be fighting in the front lines, you will stay here to train the salads. Sounds good?" Before the duo could answer, Strasskov left, laughing out loud. Toombs and Shepard were left alone at their respective beds, bruised and battered, but still lucid:

"FUCK!" was all Shepard could say:

"Hey. At least you don't have your head wrapped like a Christmas present amigo." Toombs joked:

"Piss off ye bloody wanker." Shepard answered. They both laughed a bit after a few seconds. Soon, Niralya entered the medical ward:

"Hello Doug, you look like shit." She teased:

"You on the other hand look mighty fine lass. Mind if ye fetch me a water bottle?" She nodded and did so. Shepard drank and smiled:

"How did you get inside chica? The medical officer is not allowing visitors." Toombs asked. Niralya showed an open window and her flight suit, looking at Toombs like he was a complete idiot:

"If you have no more stupid questions, why did you and Dougie here start fighting?" The both looked confused at the question:

"To tell you the truth, I haven't the foggiest idea Nir." Niralya turned to Toombs with a look of disbelief:

"Neither do I remember the reason." Shepard and Toombs looked at each other for a moment, then broke up in uproarious laughter. Talk about making a joke out of the dreaded task of training newbies.

AN

Yeah, I know, I just disappeared without a warning, but with good reason. I was in the can the whole January. Let's just say that me and some of my friends got drunk in the New Year and the MP's came to pick us up. When I woke up, I was in a cell, my fists were bruised and I was told that they found me sleeping and drooling on top of 6 MP's. At least they admitted they were impressed by my hand to hand combat prowess. Now I am out and about to continue writing my fanfic. I also made corrections in the previous chapters. Thank you for your patience and, again, my apologies. For more details and questions, send a comment or two, eh?


	25. Can of worms

5th November 2177, 1800 SET, Argos Rho, Phoenix, Fort Gyurza

It's been only a few months after Shepard was 'assigned' as a drill instructor in the 22nd Mechanised. He was doing a pretty good job training the new recruits, but the longer he stayed benched, without participating at any raids, and learning news of successful missions by the marines and, especially, his fellow hunters, was enough to make him snap more than a few times. His attempts at alleviating his boredom, like wingsuit jumping, incessant revolver training or making the newbies go through training regiments that became crazier and crazier by the minute, the funniest was that one time when he went full 'Klaus Färber' on them, were little breaks for Shepard's thirst for some real action:

"You look like shit jefe, boring day again?" Toombs, unlike Shepard, was content with being benched, both because he liked making the recruits squirm, for a change, and because he found Shepard's attempts to fight boredom funny:

"Yeah, fuck you too Andy." Shepard said as he showed him the middle finger. Toombs just laughed and sat next to him:

"Come on now cabron, don't go all moody again, let's go get piss drunk at the pub!" Toombs said, nudging Shepard's ribs:

"Again? Only one week passed since the last time and I don't think the pub owner is mighty happy about me breaking all these chairs, tables, bottles, windows and stuff."

Shepard answered. True, he was having a drink contest with the recruits, after winning at yet another game of poker, then many of the hardened marines busted in after another successful raid against a slaver fleet. Drink after drink, they started making fun of Shepard and his 'bench time' status. They pestered him for a whole hour and, eventually, he snapped. Thankfully he earned enough in the previous poker game to pay for the damages he caused, otherwise he wouldn't be allowed exit for a whole month:

"This was long coming Douglas. Besides, you gotta admit that Strasskov succeeded at making you lose your paciencia without muttering a single insult." Toombs pointed out:

"Yeah, yeah, that he did. I still hate his guts thought mate." Toombs laughed at that remark:

"Come on now, unless you want to stay here." Toombs patted Shepard's shoulder and stood up. Shepard soon followed. They arrived at the main gate to talk with the guard, a young recruit named Nicholas Guzman, good kid, bit of a Hunter fanboy. He stood at attention and greeted the 2 more experienced soldiers with a salute:

"Drill instructors Shepard and Toombs, private Guzman reporting in." The duo answered back with their own salutes:

"At ease private. Me and the corporal here are on leave." The private dropped his hand and asked:

"Let me check the list sirs... aaaaand, alright, you are cleared. Have a nice afternoon." He snapped another quick salute. But before the 2 could cross the gate, they heard someone yelling to them, which caused them to stop. The shouts were coming from Artyom Dezerian, another of Shepard's trainees, who was in full armour for some reason. Bit too much of a tough guy attitude, but could handle himself rather well:

"Sirs... the colonel... wants to talk to you... both... about something." He said panting, not bothering to salute:

"What did he say?" Shepard asked, curious:

"Something about a mission... for you... looks like... your bench time is over." Artyom answered and chuckled a bit to his last remark:

"Piss off you lazy wanker. You got tired that easily? Maybe I should get a whip to make you run faster?" Shepard's drill instructor persona, hoarse voice and threatening stare, returned for a bit:

"I was hunting the truck... for 15 minutes straight... and came here running... also." One of Shepard's most infamous and creative exercises that he implemented in Fort Gyurza was the truck hunting. The goal was simple. Try to reach the truck and grab an exit permit. The truck is moving with about 25 kilometres per hour (15 miles per hour) through dirt, mud, bushes and rough terrain, while the runners have to chase it on foot while fully loaded with equipment and armoured up. The nastiest detail is that there is always one permit less than the amount of runners, so the last one stays for the dreadful truck cleaning and without an exit permit:

"Did you get the permit this time private?" Toombs asked:

"Yes sir, I was the fifth to reach the truck."

Artyom answered. Toombs nodded and patted him on the shoulder:

"Good work private. Now get out of my sight. Vanonos." Toombs shooed the private, who gave a quick salute and left. Then they both drill instructors went straight to the colonel's office, Shepard with mixed feelings of anticipation and suspicion, Toombs almost indifferent. After passing by from a few thanatonauts who were having target practice, a platoon of heavy and medium tanks that were practicing evasive maneuvers and the permit truck, which still had about 20 troopers after it, they reached the office. Another recruit was standing guard next to the door:

"Sorry sirs, the colonel is busy right now." Before anyone could mutter another word, Strasskov shouted from inside his office:

"Nonsense, let them inside private Tanaka. I have news for them." The private obliged without a question and let the duo enter the office. Strasskov was sitting on his chair, behind a large wooden desk, a strange expression on his facial characteristics. Shepard got the reason why and was really struggling to stay silent and keep his expression neutral:

"So comrades, I am fairly certain you know why I called you here, da?" Strasskov asked:

"The messenger said it was something about a mission. Is the bench time finally over colonel?" Shepard asked:

"You could say that Shepard..." an expression of discomfort suddenly crossed the colonel's face, pain perhaps?:

"... anyway, we received a mayday signal from the pioneer team at Akuze. They were about to deploy a terraforming spire and GAAH, NO TEETH GODDAMMIT!" At that point, Strasskov yelled at the desk and slammed his hands on it. Shepard looked ready to burst out laughing any second now, Toombs was just smiling:

"Enjoying your time I see, eh colonel?" Toombs asked humourously:

"Bah. Let's just get back to the matter in hand." Strasskov said. He fumbled a bit with his pants ,while quietly cursing: "Idi nahui, blyat" and then stood up, next to the desk:

"About 6 months ago, the coalition brass sent a colonisation team on the planet Akuze. Their objectives were to scout the place, find a good chunk of level terrain and install a terraforming spire. They were supposed to call yesterday and send me a status report. All I got was a mayday signal and radio silence ever since. I want you 2 to assemble a platoon of 50 troopers and thanatonauts to investigate. Simple, no?" Strasskov said:

"Wait, you give us the command of 50 troopers?" Shepard asked, feigning confusion:

"No. I want you to lead. Toombs will assist you at anything else. Also, Shepard, you are assuming the temporary rank of lieutenant commander for the duration of the mission.":

"But colonel, the only reserve troopers available are recruits. If things are bad, everything can go to infierno." Toombs argued:

"I know, which means that it's a good chance for them to gain experience. Yes, I am aware of the risks, but I trust Shepard. He did a fine job at Elysium, assembling the separated troopers and leading them to victory. Any other questions? No? Good. You are moving out at 2100. Dismissed."

Strasskov ordered and sat back to his chair. Shepard and Toombs saluted and left.

2115, Orbit over Akuze, TCS Heavy frigate Hastings

"We are over the last known location of the pioneer team gentlemen. No signals detected except the emergency beacon, no life signs, no other spacecraft. You are cleared to land at the designated location. Good luck out there soldiers." Shouted Harold, the ship's AI to the troopers assembled in the lower level. The landing party was made up of 35 SMACC troopers, 5 of them biotics, and 15 thanatonauts in juggernaut and incinerator power suits ready to be deployed. The situation didn't demand an orbital drop or the use of the ship's chrono dislocator, so the infantry used UT-47 Kodiaks and MXY type 20 Chirashi transports instead. 6 of them were enough for all 50. 3 minutes later, the platoon landed on the outskirts of the seemingly deserted outpost. A quick scouting mission later confirmed the initial assumption. Shepard, who wore the classic blue SMACC trooper armour, with only additions a short black cloak on his shoulders and his trusty revolver on his hip, ordered the soldiers to spread out and search for evidence around the outpost, which they used as a command center:

"Private first class Redford reporting in commander Shepard." A marine saluted Shepard:

"At ease private. Did you find anything at the north?" Shepard asked. Redford shook his head:

"Nothing sir. No bodies, no blood, no signs of battle, like the land itself swallowed them whole." Shepard huffed and dismissed the private, who saluted and left:

"Any thoughts Toombs?" The gruff corporal just shrugged his shoulders:

"Hmm, I see. Alright then. Maybe I could find something. Hold the fort for me mate." Shepard said as he took a Harkonen-Angstrom 5.45 mm carbine rifle and headed outside. It started to get dark as the sun was setting over Akuze. Shepard had about one hour of daylight remaining. Shepard called over the comm link:

"All squads, this is commander Shepard. Return to the operation center and set up a camp. Make sure there is always a watch. The challenge word is 'Crimson', the answer is 'Bordeaux'. Shepard out."

A number of affirmatives buzzed and Shepard closed the commlink. He went about half a mile away (0.8 kilometers), made sure that no one could watch him and let his powers flow. He could read every thought of his soldiers back to the outpost, going as far as to touch the minds of those who were on the ship, despite the distance. Ignoring the buzz and fuss about dinner, drink, sleep and other things, he searched for anything unusual that could betray the existence of either the lost pioneers or whoever was responsible for their disappearance. Normally, Shepard was capable of reading the minds of a whole crowd in a wide area, searching for thought patterns in a whole planet required him to stay immobile. Let alone the whole shiny eyes thing that would make even a complete idiot realise that Shepard was a psychic. After a few minutes of psychic search, Douglas was about to give up and return back to the camp, until he caught an abnormal thought pattern. It was too simplistic to be human, maybe it belonged to an animal? What kind of animal could survive here? The atmosphere was too thin to allow life to develop in Akuze without a terraforming spire. He made haste for the camp, fearing what kind of beast could survive in such an inhospitable environment. He was only 50 meters (55 yards) away from the camp, when these unknown thought patterns intensified. Shepard thought that whatever that thing was, it was big and hungry. When he reached the command post, an armed guard shouted:

"Crimson!" Shepard answered:

"Bordeaux! Private, wake up everyone. I want them armed and ready NOW!" Shepard now looked almost frantic, as he actually caught more think patterns like those from before. The guard looked confused and asked:

"What happened commander, you found something?" At that point, the ground started to shake violently. A cacophony of sounds came from the command post as the trembling became louder. The troops hastily took positions outside, fear and uncertainty visible as day on their body language. Suddenly, a gigantic worm like creature erupted from underground, launching debris and 2 unlucky soldiers high in the air. All focused fire on it immediately, assault rifles, shotguns, snipers and juggernaut miniguns,managing to cripple it. Shepard barely had time to issue additional orders, another creature burst from the ground, then another, and another, until the giant worms numbered near a dozen. The remaining soldiers, now less than 30, where quickly overwhelmed:

"FALL BACK TO THE TRANSPORTS LADS, NOW!" Shepard shouted over the comm link, subconsciously using his powers to make his orders more compelling to his soldiers. The 7 remaining thanatonauts and 18 marines, 4 of them bearing the EZ symbol of the biotic legion, made haste for the shuttles:

"SPLIT UP IN 2 GROUPS! TOOMBS, YOU'RE IN CHARGE OF IT. THE REST FOLLOW ME!" Shepard ordered. The ragged and severely depleted platoon did so and they hightailed it to escape the worms. The worms hid underground again, but the soldiers were certain they would return. Their fears came true when the 2 groups were barely 20 meters away from their only chance of escape, another worm, bigger than the previous ones, burst right under the transports, completely obliterating 2 of them and damaging one more. It belched vile acid, hitting 3 more soldiers in Shepard's group, while a tentacle erupted and slammed on the other group. More acid fell on the severely outclassed soldiers. Toombs was hit by the splash, the noxious liquid burning through his armour and making him scream, as he was buried by a pile of dust, rocks and dead bodies. Shepard saw it and, before he could snap out of it, a spurting tentacle hit the remnants of his group with the force of a speeding train. A feeling of weightlessness and the smell of acid were the last things he remembered before he passed out. When he woke up, everything hurt. Pain means still alive, which was good. Being afraid of another attack, Shepard reached out for the thought patterns of the worms. No sign of them, thank God or whatever higher power above him. When he tried to find survivors, all he got was complete mental silence, which could only mean one thing. If the piles of burnt and battered corpses weren't enough of an indication, Shepard realised he was the only man alive. He tried to rise, but fell again, his right leg hurt too much, probably broken. His medical kit was ruptured, all the precious medifoam spilled on the ground. As there were no survivors, Shepard levitated a good meter above the ground, the psychic energies working like a protective shell around his beaten body. He reached for the supplies of a dead biotic marine to heal himself. They were intact and he pulled them towards him with his powers. A quick injection later, he was good as new. A quick search showed that only a Kodiak transport was still relatively intact, all the other craft were scrap metal. Before he left however, Shepard felt compelled to collect the dog tags of those who fell, hoping to find a least one survivor. Around and hour later, he found almost all of them, only 6 were missing, including Toombs. They were most likely eaten by these goddamned worms. No more time to waste, the lone hunter moved to the transport, only for the ground to shake one more time and a worm erupted behind him once again. Shepard had enough of it already. He reached for the creature's mind and gave it the order to pour acid to itself. Soon, the worm collapsed right in front of him, screeching and spasming like crazy. Shepard emptied his assault rifle's magazine on the oversized acidic gland to make sure the freak was dead and went on his way to the Kodiak, but the overgrown monster exploded behind him, sending viscous acid all over the place. A good dose landed on Shepard's back, burning through the armour and making him scream. While the rebreather was still intact and the emergency nano sealing system sealed the holes, the pain from the injury was too much for Shepard to think straight. He stumbled towards the transport, not having any time to scavenge for medifoam as these worms were coming back. He opened the doors hastily and entered, then slammed the button to close them. He was in no position to pilot the shuttle, so he pushed a button calling for emergency AI takeover from the frigate.

Slight movement...

A feeling of weightlessness...

A frantic mechanical voice...

Smell of antiseptic...

Bright white light...

Excruciating pain...

An unknown female voice calling:

"Be strong Douglas. Be strong my son."

More pain...

Increased heart rate...

Needle in the bicep...

Less pain...

Silence...

A few days later...

Douglas Shepard woke up with the worst headache ever. His vision was blurry and the light annoyed him:

"Bloody hell. Worst hangover ever." When his eyes adjusted, he saw the digital display next to him. 20:25, 8th November 2177. He was out for 3 days? He groaned and his head hit the pillow again. A synthetic male nurse came in his room a bit later:

"Ah hunter cadet Shepard, I see you are awake. Many people will be happy with the news.":

"What kind of injuries I have?" Shepard asked, without looking at the nurse:

"Well, ignoring the various bruises and scrapes, you were brought to the Hastings with multiple unhealed bone and rib fractures, severe acidic burns on your back and lung damage from fume inhalation. You were stabilised there and later brought here, to Fort Gyurza's medical ward for surgery. Truly, your survival is a miracle. You will have some difficulty moving and aches for about a week, but you will recover." The nurse answered smiling:

"What about scars?" Shepard asked. The nurse wasn't smiling this time:

"The acid burns left 83 percent of your back, 12 percent of your left arm and 16 of your right with scar tissue. The operation eliminated most physical damage so you won't suffer from pains. A cosmetic surgery would be costly, but..." Shepard raised his palm to make the nurse pause:

"It's okay mate, the scars remind me of my mistakes. I keep them so I won't repeat them. The info is much appreciated. Give my thanks to the doctors and send my friends inside please." The nurse looked surprised:

"How you know they are outside?" Shepard smirked:

"Because I saw that bleeding idiot Francis peeking through the vent. HEY FRANCIS! I SAW YOUR UGLY MUG BEHIND THAT VENT! COME HERE YOU WORTHLESS WANKER!" He barely finished his sentence and more than a dozen people bursted inside, nearly reaping the sliding door from the wall. They were holding bottles of beer and liquor, 2 of them a cake and 2 others a banner that had 'We want drill sergeant Shepard back' written on it. In the front were Shepard fellow hunters, Francis Belmont, Agnes Jensen, Juliana Benitez and Hector Gallard. The others were the recruits under Shepard's drilling. They looked jubilant at Shepard recovery, but the loss of so many soldiers on Akuze was still present in their thoughts. They opened the bottles, despite the nurse's protests, and started drinking. Funny fact, Juliana added the drunken code in her synthetic body. The only noticeable difference between an inebriated human and her would be the fact that she could sober up immediately. She was also immune to hangovers, lucky bitch. They started asking Shepard when he would be back in action, encouraged him, complimented for how he killed the giant worm, now known as a thresher maw.The impromptu celebration lasted about 10 minutes, then the nurse managed to make them scram, claiming that the colonel wanted to personally brief the recovering hunter. After the last participant left and all the trash were collected and thrown away, the colonel entered. His expression was a mix of pride and sadness:

"How are you holding up Douglas?" The colonel's tone was soft and Shepard didn't detect any anger or malicious intent in Strasskov's mind, so he answered truthfully:

"To be honest sir, barely. Things were bloody intense down there." Strasskov exhaled tiredly:

"I know. The Hastings made a low altitude scouting run and saw the results of the carnage. I requested a shogun executioner to be dropped on Akuze and kill the rest of these worms. The species name is thresher maw, which I'm sure you already know. They are very nasty creatures, even the council and the terminus systems are afraid of them. From what I understand, you were lured in a well placed trap. There wasn't much else you could do. You performed admirably while completely outgunned, outclassed and out manoeuvred ." Shepard nodded and answered:

"With all due and respect, it doesn't make the losses easier. 49 men and women died on my watch and I was unable to stop it. Some of them were barely 18 years old. All I could do was to kill one of these freaks and collect the tags of the fallen. I take full responsibility for the loss." Strasskov patted Shepard on the shoulder:

"You have a lot of guts to admit defeat. Anderson was right, you may be young, but you possess the wisdom of a veteran. So, I will let you lead again in missions to come. You still have to go through psychological treatment, it's standard procedure nothing I can do about it, but from what I see, your sanity is still intact, so no category 6 for you. Also, read a bit of good old Sun Tzu, it will help you focus. Now rest, you're no good to me dead or crippled." They both saluted each other and Strasskov left. Shepard was left alone and soon drifted to sleep again. Instead of having nightmares, he heard the same female voice from before, the one that asked him to be strong:

"Learn from your failures, adapt to the situation, conquer the past and advance."

Soon, Shepard got tired of all this sage advice and tried to think different things while he slept. Drinking with the lads, vandalizing back in London, tinkering with his omni pad and various other gadgets, his family with who he had to talk with for a very long time and many other things of the past. Eventually, the voice went quiet.

The rest of the evening was uneventful. The same nurse, William was his name, gave Shepard many books to read until he recovered. Visits were very limited, mostly because the head of the medical ward was pretty pissed from the previous hospital celebration, so most time Douglas was alone, studying, tinkering with devices, playing poker with himself and jacking off.

Meanwhile, somewhere else in terran territory...

"How did I agree on this? Negotiating with the humans? The very humans who treat AI's like they're equals? It's insane, UNTHINKABLE!" Admiral Rael'Zorah was not happy with the situation. He and the other 4 members of the admiralty board agreed, albeit reluctantly, to ask for assistance from the terran coalition. The quarians, while they were impressed by humanity's achievements, like beating the turians, scaring the Citadel council into submission, possessing technology far more advanced than anyone else to name a few, preferred to keep their distance, despite the possible benefits. However, as the fleet conditions and resources were declining every year more and more quarians wanting to reclaim Rannoch, due to no small part because of admiral Han'Gerrel's rousing, the admirals decided to open diplomatic talks with humanity, but instead of open discussion, which could attract the attention of the Citadel council, a prototype stealth ship was used to hide their heat emissions and used a secret mass relay to reach terran territory undetected:

"I don't like it either Rael, but there is no way to reclaim the homeworld without assistance. The Citadel wants us to waste away and go extinct, so no help from them. If working with humans is what needs to be done to rub it to the council and especially the turians, so be it." Han'Gerrel vas Neema, childhood friend of Rael answered, his dislike of the turians evident. He was the one who, along with admiral Daro'Xen, recommended talking about making a deal with the coalition years ago. Daro'Xen was in it only for the scientific benefits, but agreed nonetheless. Admiral Shala'Raan vas Moreh kept a neutral stance and if it wasn't for that, in Han's opinion, spineless coward, admiral Zaal'Koris vas Qwip-Qwip, they would already take Rannoch back from the Geth if they just asked for human assistance earlier:

"Unlike you, I'm most excited to watch the technological marvels that humanity constructed. The AI's they created didn't revolt against them and actually live in harmony. Who knows what else the have in store." Admiral Daro'Xen added, completely indifferent towards the opinions of the other admirals:

"I'd prefer to gain access to their terraforming technology if your ask me. Maybe we won't need to attack Rannoch after all..." Admiral Zaal'Koris added, only to be interrupted by admiral Shala'Raan, who scowled behind her visor:

"You really must avoid voicing such thoughts openly admiral Koris." Before the issue could escalate further, the pilot of announced:

"Admirals, we are closing in to the mass relay." That got their attention:

"Is the stealth system performing adequately pilot?" Zaal'Koris asked, earning a scoff from Daro'Xen:

"Of course it does, because I designed it."

After they entered terran territory through the mass relay, all the passengers of the ship felt relieved, as there was no blockade that would shoot them to pieces, like they did to the turians. Still, the silence was unnerving. No one could believe that it would be so easy, the quarians expected to see the telltale blue mist of the chronorapture or human stealth frigates to blink into existence. They waited for a few minutes, but nothing happened:

"I told you the stealth system would work." Daro'Xen said, boasting for her success:

"Let's avoid taking the shortest route. Maybe they have stealth frigates around here. Pilot, plot a course to that asteroid, then follow the standard route." Shala'Raan, the voice of logic, ordered:

"A wise tactic indeed, but completely unnecessary admiral Raan." A voice said behind them. A human voice. The admirals turned to see, none other than, Gigiermo Espinoza, the man who is always one step ahead. The admirals were shock still at his sudden appearance, while a squad of quarian marines leveled their guns on the lone figure. To further disturb the admirals , the director kept his hands crossed behind his back, completely ignoring the 6 guns currently aiming him:

"Impressive really, there was no way to detect the heat emissions of your ship. My congratulations admiral Daro'Xen. The council, with all their resources and scientists, were unable to even come close to masking something bigger than a fighter, and you succeeded in only 4 years with limited materials. Also, much obliged for giving me the location of the relay." The calm demeanour of Espinoza and the fact he possessed no visible weaponry, put the quarians at relative ease. Let alone the fact that Espinoza became somewhat of a celebrity in the migrant fleet after his debate with the councillors last year. Han'Gerrel had many good laughs from the recording:

"Director Espinoza, how long where you here?" Daro'Xen asked. Espinoza smiled and answered:

"In this ship, the Neema, the Tonbay, the Rayaa, the Moreh or the Qwip-Qwip? Interesting name by the way." The admirals stood silent, not so willing to learn how long someone stayed undetected in the migrant fleet:

"Hmm, I see you don't want to believe that you have been infiltrated. Anyway, we established a presence in the migrant fleet shortly after the first contact war. To this very day, 8000 CISP operators are spread thoroughly, either inside your most important ships or monitoring secondary targets within stealth frigates. Don't worry, we are currently DEFCON 4, so no need to be afraid." This time, Rael talked:

"What is DEFCON?":

"Acronym for defence condition. Here is the file." Espinoza sent the relevant data to the omni-tools of the admirals. The DEFCON levels in the terran military were organised as:

Level 5 or Blue Alert for minimum readiness.

Level 4 or Green Alert for increased security and intelligence gathering.

Level 3 or Yellow Alert, dictating partial conscription and preparations for imminent attack.

Level 2 or Orange Alert, full conscription and preparations for prolonged warfare.

Level 1 or Red Alert, use of WMD's (Weapons of Mass Destruction) authorised.

Level 0 or Black Alert, CLASSIFIED.

Suffice to say, the admirals, except Daro'Xen, where horrified by the term WMD and the potential of whatever would be used in the level 0:

"Why would humanity need a level 0 director Espinoza?" Daro'Xen asked cunningly. She wanted to learn what could possibly be more powerful than any WMD:

"Sorry, but you already gave me a secret and I gave you one in return. As a sign of appreciation or respect, to every friend or ally, for every secret I get, I give one back. I already told you that you have been infiltrated and the numbers of the agents in the assignment while you gave me the location of this mass relay." Espinoza answered, showing the glowing mass relay behind him with his thumb:

"Umm, we thank you for the grand gesture director, but can we go back to the matter in hand?" Shala'Raan asked:

"But of course. Pilot, would you please type these coordinates?" Espinoza requested. The pilot turned towards the admirals. They all nodded and the pilot did so. The coming negotiations would be a turning point for humanity, quarian kind and the galaxy as a whole. The council would be angry to them for a few months, but they could go fuck themselves.


	26. Complications

Right after director Espinoza's timely appearance at the quarian diplomatic vessel, a secret meeting between the directors of the terran coalition and the quarian admiralty board took place at 9th of November 2177 at the Arcturus station. After about 3 weeks of debate, a few heated dialogues with director Morrow, because of him being an AI himself, a bit of reminiscing of how the directors ridiculed the council, a good amount of drinks and snacks that were specifically tailored to be edible by both dextro and levo amino based lifeforms, something that was considered impossible by nearly everyone, but not for humanity, were some of the highlights of the negotiation attempts. A very interesting conservation followed near the end of those 3 weeks:

28th November 2177, Arcturus Station, LOCATION REDACTED

"Truly incredible, how did you manage to create consumables that are edible for both levo and dextro amino based species director Omega?" Daro'Xen asked while drinking juice from a sterilised container through, what she called, an emergency induction port:

"What can I say? The applications of nanotechnology are nearly endless. It can reshape matter at an atomic level regardless of size, in this case, it dissolves the amino acids into a form that bonds to both types of digestives systems when eaten."

The conversation dragged on about many other technological advancements and Yuriko praised the quarians for their adaptability and skill. Meanwhile, the other directors and admirals were discussing the specifics of a proper alliance, finding a suitable colony, exchange of knowledge et cetera. Let's move to the most interesting conversation, Han'Gerrel and director MacLeod were discussing military training and weapons. They were surprisingly coherent after 4 rounds of drinks, until MacLeod started talking about the quarian marines:

"What do you mean the fleet marines are 'hic' poorly trained?" Han'Gerrel asked angrily:

"That's not what I said buckethead. I said their training is limited. Ship to ship combat and boarding actions? You got to make a more flexible training regiment for the troops if you want a good army." MacLeod answered, slurring slightly:

"I could take you on any day, despite what training you might possess. I trained for 10 years under the best instructors." Han'Gerrel challenged:

"Oh ho ho. How about a little wager then? If you win, I will personally lead a huge army and fleet to drive the geth out of Rannoch. If you lose however, I dare you to hug director Morrow." MacLeod dared.

The conversations stopped abruptly at the sudden announcement. They all stared at Han'Gerrel, who was frozen stiff from the dare issued. If he was completely sober, chances were he wouldn't accept such a bet. Too bad for him, he wasn't. He accepted the challenge. The room participants quickly made some room for the coming drunken fistfight:

"You can still back off if you want glass jaw, it's not a shame." MacLeod gave a chance to Han'Gerrel:

"And lose the chance of 'hic' winning against the geth you arrogant bosh'tet? Pass." The quarian admiral refused and launched himself without warning towards MacLeod. The human just sidestepped, a bit unsteadily, but a good dodge nonetheless. The admiral landed face first on the floor however, something that only enraged him further. A fistfight followed, most strikes were sloppy but could still knock out the director of the armed forces. MacLeod wasn't attacking much, his longtime but balanced drinking habit made him resistant to alcohol. His moves were unfocused, but his mind was devising a method to beat the quarian easily. The head was not a target, being protected by reinforced glass, the knees were double jointed, so a sweep would be ineffective, and hitting the family jewels would be a real dick move. So, after a successful parry, MacLeod aimed and punched Han'Gerrel right on the gut. The following reaction was immediate. The quarian admiral, not as tolerant to liquor, vomited inside his mask and fell to the ground, chocking. Suffice to say, the admirals panicked. They had to remove the mask to save him from suffocation, but that way he would get sick and probably die from infection. Yuriko calmly reached for a switch and a violet light filled the room:

"It's alright, I activated the ultraviolet lights, you can remove the mask safely now." Yuriko then grinned to herself and continued:

"Actually, allow me to assist." She said and with a flick of the wrist, she pulled the glass visor with her powers and then lifted

the still dizzy admiral like he was a feather. The vomit fell on the floor, but the display was enough to quiet down the cries of protest coming from the the other admirals. Erika Wagner, director of colonial affairs, took the chance to call for a medic now that the visitors were stunned from the demonstration of psionic supremacy. That didn't stop Wagner from voicing her argument about cleanliness and decorum however, even to the most powerful psychic:

"Director Omega, was your desire to flaunt your abilities a good reason to stain the carpet? It's not for it to get cleaned itself as I am sure you are aware." Director Wagner was notorious for her dedication to proper manners and the traditional rules of the court, being a distant descendant of germanic royalty, and even under threat of death she would wear the finest clothes, not a single wrinkle on them and speak with a tact that would make even emperor Yoshiro III of the Japanese empire bow with respect. That didn't stop her from being a bit of a pompous bitch unfortunately:

"Excuse me your majesty, but I couldn't in good conscience let our esteemed guest choke to death." Yuriko answered, voice dripping with sarcasm. She learned to avoid using, what Wagner called, improper language when in her presence, otherwise she would keep pestering her for weeks. Thankfully, Wagner didn't push further this time. As she said, if you want to be sarcastic, at least do so politely. Shala'Raan could say only one thing:

"Are all you humans this crazy?" Yuriko and the other directors, except Wagner who left to wash her hands, just shrugged. The one who answered the question was MacLeod:

"Only when it's Saturday." Shala'Raan checked her omnitool and saw that the day was Friday:

"But it says it is Friday here." She said as she showed the date. MacLeod just smiled and answered:

"Because this is what we consider normal around these parts." He winked and left the admiral stunned.

The meeting was concluded a couple of hours later, with Han'Gerrel participating in good health, and hugging director Morrow as he promised, just like that, the quarians had a place to live once again after nearly 300 years. A planet named Abode, which was already settled by humans and batarians, a social experiment of how well 2 different species could coexist, would become the new home for the quarian people. The admirals were reluctant at the beginning, but after a demonstration of how well the people of the terran coalition and the citizens of the, now named, batarian socialist republics, lived in relative harmony, an agreement was made. A secondary terraforming spire would make part of the planet dextro friendly for the new arrivals. In only a few months, many cities were built to accommodate the 17 million newcomers, who were occupying the unfurled nanocore structures at a rate of about 100000 people a day. The old ships were emptied, slowly but steadily, and then went to be scrapped, one at the time, by nano disassemblers. In 6 months, the 50000 ship fleet of ageing vessels was replaced by 4000 venerable, top of the line vessels, built according to quarian specifications, by human, batarian and quarian engineers, who were employed by the famed Shirada-Nagama shipworks, the People's united shipyard, the Gerhardt-Giraud spaceworks and the newly founded Batarian socialist aerospace company. These companies were, as always, in need of capable employees, and many quarians found respectable jobs, not only there, but to many other firms as well. Of course, they where under the constant surveillance of the ever present eye of the CISP and the security agencies of the various companies, despite the fact that the quarian people held little love for the council, even less for the terminus systems and near complete hatred for the geth, which made possible attempts of espionage highly unlikely. But the coalition followed the old Russian saying, trust but verify. Speaking of the council, they finally got a whiff about what happened, 8 months later, in July. They demanded an audition with the directors as soon as they heard of it. Instead of listening to MacLeod's advice of telling the council to fuck off, Yuriko decided to take the call. She wanted to hear what they had to say. In order to sell them the image that the directors were currently too busy, she decided to renovate her office. She got some workers to transform her standard minimalistic styled office into a zen styled office with bonsai trees and a small sand garden. She felt a bit nostalgic about Japan, despite the bad old memories from back then. Still, that was also where she met her mentor, an old man who helped her realise how to change things.

Flashback, September 1978, Somewhere in Japanese land

Exhaustion...

Frustration...

Betrayal...

Lack of purpose...

These were the only thoughts left after Yuriko Omega destroyed the Shiro Psychic Research Center, killing multiple soldiers, scientists, clones, Doctor Shinji Shimada and her sister, Izumi. She was left completely alone in a world that would probably hunt her down like an animal. Watching humanity from afar was nothing but a small reprieve from this dead end. Fighting her way through all of them was also a no go. So, she exiled herself to the wilderness, roaming around, first near the Fuji mountain, then moved north to Hokkaido island. She lived in a tree cavity and her diet consisted of various fruit, plants and the occasional small animal she could grab, like a hermit. She lived like that for a few months, until strange dreams started plaguing her mind. It wasn't the memories of her captivity, her escape, the military prison, Shimada or Izumi. No, the image of a log cabin in the woods and an old man she never saw before was in her dream. That man then uttered a single phrase:

"Come find me."

Yuriko woke up startled the first time. It was nighttime, complete silence reigning in the dark forest, so she dismissed the dream. But over the course of the week, the same vision came to her mind every single night, making her more and more agitated over time. The seventh day, this same vision came to her when she was wide awake, collecting water from a small stream. This time, she clearly heard the voice calling her to find him and saw the image of the same old man more clearly now. His face was slightly wrinkled, he had blue eyes, his head was bald and had a red goatee. Yuriko decided to try and communicate with her abilities:

"Who the hell are you?" She asked:

"Someone who can help with your little problem." The old man answered, without giving a real answer:

"What do you want?" Yuriko asked again, her patience running out:

"Come find me Yuriko. See for yourself. Goodbye." The connection was cut.

The psionic commando was on the verge of lashing out, her short temper evident, until she realised what just happened. She used her powers to communicate with an unknown person, who knew both her name and about her abilities. Also, the way he communicated was almost the same as Izumi's, but instead of his face, Yuriko could also see other images. Who was that person? Another resident of the Shiro Sanitarium? Doubtful, he looked too old. Maybe a trap? Possible, but not very likely. After the ceasefire, the armed forces were mostly busy with rebuilding and suppressing rebel pockets all around the globe, which put the capture of Yuriko to a low priority list. After pondering what to do for a few hours, she decided to search for the source of the visions. That night, as she was waiting for another intrusion in her dreams, the same old man came to her sleep:

"If you want to find me, follow the tugging in your head." The figure smiled and disappeared before Yuriko could utter a single word. As she woke up, she started feeling a strange tug inside her head, just like the mysterious man said. It was pulling her towards the north:

"The Sakhalin islands. That's my destination. Time to get some answers." Yuriko resolutely said to herself.

Back to the present...

"Director Omega, are you listening?" The words of councillor Tevos jostled Yuriko back to reality. She put her tired face back on while in the comm. The floating camera got a visual of Yuriko and the maintenance workers behind her while it projected the holograms of the citadel council in front of her. She feigned a yawn and rubbed her temples:

"Yes, excuse me, I didn't get much sleep as you can see." Yuriko replied in a tired voice:

"What happened to your office? Were you under attack?" Sparatus asked:

"No, nothing like that. We just had a little accident in one of the power cores, as you can see, there was extensive interior damage around the whole station." Yuriko gestured behind her. The trick was simple. Make the council a little more sympathetic just for a bit and spare both sides from a long and boring talk:

"Did anyone get hurt? Are the directors in good health?" Valern, always the practical, asked with a hint of genuine concern, a rare but welcome occurrence:

"Nothing too serious, thank you. Only 28 people slightly injured, no casualties. The only problem is fixing the mess. The new computers and communicators require multiple authentications and calibrations, hence why me and the other directors are awake and busy for so long." Yuriko answered:

"For what it's worth, we apologise for the inconvenience, but we were recently notified that you allowed the quarian migrant fleet passage into your territory a few months ago. The reports also say that

you let them settle in one of your planets, the one named Abode. Is that true?" Tevos asked:

"Indeed councillor, 9 months ago, the quarian admiralty board showed interest in negotiating with us. 3 weeks later, we agreed to provide them sanctuary, land to settle down and a suitable area to colonise in exchange for services. Our tech companies and those of the batarian socialist republics are always in need of capable workers. The quarian people are very competent and grateful." Yuriko confessed. The councillors visibly tensed at the answer and Sparatus looked like he was ready to have an aneurysm, or whatever the turians called it:

"So you admit that you assimilated the quarian race under your flag? Don't you know that they created the geth, the race of sentient machines that kills every organic they see? WHAT IN THE SPIRITS NAME IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE?" Sparatus cried in, what he considered, righteous rage. If Tevos and Valern weren't already agitated enough, Sparatus looked ready to declare war:

"Well, for starters, every quarian who created,had a role in the creation of the geth or even lived during that time is long dead by now. Second, they came to negotiate without breaking any of our laws and they managed to talk us into a mutually beneficial deal without losing their sovereignty. Also, the migrant fleet is scrapped by now, so we cannot drive them away." Yuriko answered without hesitation:

"Wait, you say the quarians are not a client state? Why did you not annex them?" Valern asked curiously:

"Simple, we don't want to. We fancy ourselves as liberators, not conquerors. I mean sure, we have many quarians and batarians working in our firms, but other than that, they are free to live as they see fit. They may ask for our advice or assistance, but they decide what is best for them, not us. Less paperwork for us, more freedom for them. It's a win-win." The director of science said with a smirk:

"I don't care one way or the other, the quarians must pay for the creation of the geth. I demand you exile them RIGHT NOW!" Sparatus was livid. The stubborn military traditionalist had zero tolerance for anyone who broke the law, be it turian or alien. He was also quite salty about the defeat in Shanxi, which further fueled his animosity. Yuriko knew that she had to choose her words carefully with that one:

"I'm sorry councillor Sparatus, but as I said before, the migrant fleet is no more. The quarian people have nowhere else to go and they will protect their new home to the death. How do you expect us to make them leave? Do we kill them all? Genocide is a terrible crime and you know it." Yuriko tried to guilt trip Sparatus. The councillor was silent after the last sentence. He gawked awkwardly to the human, then looked to the other councillors for backup, which never came:

"Considering the fact that the terran coalition is a sovereign power and there was no prior agreement or warning against accepting the quarians into their territory, there is no law that was broken councillor Sparatus." Valern quickly added. The turian huffed after digesting the information. The three councillors talked and argued for about a minute and the final answer was given:

"As councillor Valern correctly added, what you do in your own territory is up to you. Next time however, could you show the courtesy of bringing us up to date with the newest developments? As I am sure you understand, your actions can have unwanted consequences to the rest of the galaxy." Tevos half pleaded, half demanded. The human directors were all genuinely impressed by her ability to do so, not that they would openly admit it however:

"That's acceptable councillor, but we thought you wouldn't mind, considering the fact that the migrant fleet is not roaming around the galaxy anymore." That voice belonged to none other but admiral Han'Gerrel, who insisted seeing the faces of the councillors in return for having to hug director Morrow. He finished by showing the middle finger before Yuriko terminated the call:

"I feel much better now that these arrogant bosh'tets were put in their places. And I hope they got the message." Han'Gerrel chuckled as he examined the gesture like it was a powerful weapon:

"Let me guess, MacLeod taught you the finger, right?" Yuriko didn't bother reading the mind of the admiral:

"Yes. He didn't explain me what it meant BUT IT FELT SO LIBERATING! Do you think the council got the meaning of the gesture, whatever it is?" Han'Gerrel asked:

"They definitely did. Also, this gesture means...

Meanwhile, in the presidium...

"... I quote, 'shove this finger up your rear hole'. It is an insult widely used by humanity." Tevos explained to the 2 councillors who didn't know the meaning. At the exact same moment when the explanation was finished, Han'Gerrel was laughing like a maniac in front of an amused Yuriko in the Arcturus station, while the councillors were silently fuming back in the council chambers.

Four months later, TCS ubernaught Alliance

"So, let me get this straight. The batarians and the quarians fucked up in their attempt to colonise a couple of new planets, a good portion of them were snatched by slavers and we are the ones who are supposed to clean the mess. Am I missing something?" Admiral Steven Hackett, decorated officer and veteran of the first contact war was having a conversation with director MacLeod. These 2 old dogs of war went through thick and thin since their time in the Buenos Aires Avanzada Academia Mititar:

"You forgot the part that I promised to train the new elite forces for our soggy alien friends. The idiots forgot that when the shit hits the fan, you need your own bunch of whack jobs to get the job done. And don't ignore the ironic part, they were present in the galactic community for nearly a millennia while we kicked the collective assess of the turian hierarchy and the batarian hegemony in less than a decade. It's crazy. We prepared so much for possible attack from hostile aliens that now they are afraid of us." MacLeod added and took a swig of whiskey from his glass. The issue these 2 men were discussing was the new slaver raids that occurred one month earlier. Instead of assaulting human settlements directly, they went for the easy pickings. The about 3000 pioneers who attempted to settle a new barren planet were kidnapped by the same slaver groups that were behind the attack on Elysium 2 years ago and retreated back to their recently discovered underground base in Torfan:

"You got that right, but what's bugging me is how the hell did the slavers manage to keep the location of their secret base out of the CISP's network? Is Gigi becoming senile in his old age?" Hackett asked, making both of them chuckle. Less than 30 people knew of director Espinoza's nickname and even fewer had the guts to use it:

"Nah. From what I heard, the old spook well... spooked them for good, so they grew wiser and more cautious. From what I could find out, the CISP uncovered that the slavers are using coded paper messages to relay info. I don't know if they took the trick from us or if they had the smarts to think it themselves, but Gigi was practically foaming from his mouth when he found out, heh. At least we got the target so the mess will be cleaned soon" MacLeod answered:

"Well, back to the previous matter, I believe we could use Thaddeus Ahern. He is currently rear admiral, stationed at the Pinnacle station, grinding greens and hardened vets of almost every species at his simulation. He could get the job done rather well." Hackett recommended:

"I was thinking of a more unconventional approach. Ahern is a good admiral and capable fighter, but special forces can only be trained by other special forces. I was thinking of using a hunter to train whatever our alien allies consider tier one soldiers, someone they can look up to. You know who I am thinking about, right?"

MacLeod asked enigmatically. Hackett got the message and raised from his seat:

"Fingers crossed that the russki bastard is not wasted again. People like him are the reason I quit drinking and started smoking. Fuck cancer and all other health hazards, we have good doctors and meds." Hackett reached for the QEC and entered an electronic military address. After 7 seconds, the hologram of Vitaliy Strasskov popped up. To Hackett's great surprise, he saw him with a book in his hands:

"Privet comrade admiral, how can I help this glorious day?" Strasskov saluted, his smile and cheery tone always present. Hackett saluted back:

"At ease colonel. Are your troops busy with any assignments right now?" Hackett asked for status report:

"Clear skies and bored soldiers comrade admiral. From what I've heard, we're going to have some real action soon enough." Strasskov answered jovially:

"You're right colonel, but not yet. First, we need to teach the quarians and the batarians our own modus operandi. Which means that we need your best drill instructor. Is Shepard up for the task?" Hackett asked. Strasskov smiled:

"Is that a trick question comrade admiral? There is always a demand for fresh meat. Let me call Shepard for a bit." A few minutes later, Strasskov hologram blinked back into existence:

"He says he is more than willing to teach them how to fight properly, but he doesn't like the fact that the quarians can die from a simple suit puncture or a goddamn sneeze. He believes it's ridiculous to lose soldiers like that." Strasskov answered:

"There's no reason to worry. Our eggheads figured out a way to repair their immune systems and they are actually even better than 300 years ago. Also, we used it as leverage to get quarian volunteers for training, so don't go spewing it everywhere that the cure is ready, we have to test it in real stress situations." Hackett warned:

"Duly noted admiral, if you could tell me the number of volunteers to prepare accommodations I would be grateful. Also, how should we call the new elite?" Strasskov asked:

"We will send 30 batarian close quarters specialists and 30 quarian combat engineers. As for the team names, leave them to Shepard. He gets the right to name them obviously. Hackett out." Hackett said with finality and closed the comm. Strasskov, on the other hand, called back a girl to continue the massage.

11th November 2178, Fort Gyurza

17 year old Tali'Zorah started having second thoughts about her decision. Lying about her age was one thing, but the only training she got was from private instructors, courtesy of admiral Rael'Zorah, her father. True, Tali proved herself as a highly talented hacker, technician and engineer, also quite handy with shotguns, pistols and knives, but only on an individual level. She wasn't much of a team member and not really charismatic, the reasons she decided to join in this venture were, first, train herself so she could help her people and impress her father, second, she was curious to meet human soldiers from up close and see the famed Douglas Shepard, the hunter, hero of Elysium and lone survivor of Akuze, from up close, and third, she wanted to be cured from her weakened immune system. When she signed the papers for her enlistment in the quarian special force, she also received the complimentary offer for a procedure to strengthen her immune system, something which she gladly accepted, just like the other 29 volunteers. For 2 whole days, she felt nauseus, but after that, she didn't need to wear that suit and mask anymore. Instead, she was given a shirt, a pair of trousers, a jacket, socks, underwear and shoes designed for quarians. She really believed that humans, from the way the doctors, some army officials and the human civilians from the city of Santa Espera back in Unity, were a kind and considerate race. But as she exited the transport along with her fellow quarians and the batarian recruits, her hopes crashed quicker than a failed rocket launch. The grizzled soldiers in the entrance of the fortress were regarding the newcomers like they were predators looking for prey. Tali caught a few snippets of conversation and shouts:

"... fresh meat for the grinder..."

"... this is gonna be fun..."

"... here come the live bait..."

The same continued when they passed the gate. The soldiers were staring at them with lifeless eyes, their faces scowling, making Tali and the others feel really nervous. They were all led to an open space, covered in mud and with a few patches of grass here and there. On the ground, there were markings of yellow paint, each of them had a name on. Tali found hers and moved there. The markings were forming 2 lines, each looking towards the center:

"ATTEEEEEEEEEENTION!" A soldier bearing the markings of a corporal shouted. All the recruits tensed and straightened up. After a few seconds, a tall, scarred man made his arrival. He wore forest camo fatigues, a gray flak jacket, a peaked gray foraging cap which covered his shaven head, a short black cloak on his shoulders and each of his forearms had the head of an animal which Tali recognised as a wolf. She and many other recruits gulped as they recognised Douglas Shepard. He didn't look anything on the posters or the vids. He wasn't smiling or wearing a clean service uniform. Instead, that man was walking slowly, like a beast on the prowl, eyes searching for any sign of weakness, hands behind his back and with a scowl that could make even a krogan flinch. 3 steps later, his gaze fell on a batarian with dark brown skin who was clenching his fist from time to time:

"You look like a slaver I killed back in Elysium. Name." Shepard said in a low and quiet voice:

"Vren Pankoreh." He answered:

"Why are you so nervous? Afraid I'm gonna kill you?" Shepard asked:

"No sir." He answered. As the last word escaped his lips, Shepard grabbed him by the throat:

"I AM NOT SIR! I AM DRILL INSTRUCTOR DOUGLAS SHEPARD AND YOU WILL CALL ME DRILL INSTRUCTOR, IS THAT CLEAR?" Shepard shouted. The batarian, to his credit, managed to keep his cool and didn't resist:

"Crystal clear drill instructor." Vren answered, his voice slightly crackled but audible. Shepard let him loose and started walking again. A female quarian, which Tali recognised as Zimma'Fanis, 5 steps further from Shepard was trying to contain her nervous chuckling, but he heard it:

"What is so bloody funny leatherneck?" Shepard asked plainly:

"N-nothing drill instructor." She asked, trying to force her smile into a neutral line:

"Then why are you laughing? Do I look like a goddamn comedian, did you come here for fun?" Shepard asked again:

"No drill instructor." She answered:

"Then stop laughing." Shepard's voice was dripping venom. Zimma kept trying, but couldn't stop smiling:

"I don't have all day." Shepard said through clenched teeth:

"Sorry, I'm trying." She couldn't stop giggling. Shepard finally had enough and punched her in the gut. She fell on the ground, struggling to breath:

"Get up and show me your face." Shepard ordered. The quarian slowly got up, but she was still holding her stomach and kept her head hanging low:

"YOUR FACE GODDAMMIT, LET ME SEE IT!" Shepard screamed. The quarian recruit lifted her head. There was no trace of smile, only an expression of pain. Shepard kept walking towards the end of the line, getting closer and closer to Tali, who was now sweating. She was trying desperately to keep her wits together, but as Shepard reached the end of the line, he turned his head towards her and looked dead to the eye. He stepped right in front of her, easily towering over her, as she was still underage and thus didn't fully develop yet:

"I am having a hard time believing that you came here on your own free will. Name." Shepard asked:

"Tali'Zorah drill instructor." She answered:

"Did you come here to learn how to kill?"

Shepard asked again. The word kill gave a bad feeling to Tali. She didn't have any qualms about destroying geth or soulless machines, but the thought of killing organics made her feel sick:

"N-no." She answered quietly:

"Then you came here to learn how to destroy?" Shepard asked:

"No." Tali answered again:

"THEN WHY THE FUCK DID YOU COME HERE? ARE YOU HERE JUST TO WASTE MY TIME, IS THIS A FUCKING JOKE TO YOU?" Shepard screamed again:

"I can be of use. I am a good engineer." Tali answered after a few seconds while in the verge of tears. How she wished she wore her mask now:

"This is where you're wrong. LISTEN UP EVERYBODY!" Shepard shouted and the recruits who relaxed their stance straightened up again:

"LITTLE TALI HERE SAYS SHE IS AN ENGINEER. SHE OBVIOUSLY FORGOT A CRUCIAL DETAIL. IN THIS CAMP, YOU ALL CAME TO BECOME SPECIAL FORCES AND I WILL TRAIN YOU AS SUCH. I DON'T CARE ABOUT YOUR SKILL SETS, YOU ALL CAME HERE FOR THIS SINGLE REASON. ANYONE WHO THINKS MY TRAINING REGIMENT IS TOO HARSH, OR IF I AM TO CRUEL AND RUTHLESS, THERE'S THE EXIT!" Shepard showed the fortress entrance with his index finger:

"ANYONE WHO WANTS TO QUIT, BEST TO STEP FORWARD NOW!" No one stepped forward:

"WELL, I GUESS YOU ALL AGREE WITH ME THEN. YOU SEE THAT HALFTRUCK OVER THERE? YOUR UNIFORMS ARE IN THESE PACKAGES. FIND THE PACK WITH YOUR NAME AND RETURN TO THE BARRACKS ASAP! YOU DO NOT HAVE THE RIGHT TO ENTER THE BARRACKS WITHOUT PROPER UNIFORM! AM I CLEAR YOU WORTHLESS MAGGOTS?" Shepard said:

"YES DRILL INSTRUCTOR!" All the recruits answered:

"GOOD, NOW GET THE FUCK OUTTA MY SIGHT, CORPORAL DEZERIAN, KEEP THE PACE!" Shepard dismissed the trainees and went back to his office, while the greens in their horror went to chase the truck throught the muddy field with the other drill instructors hounding them, shouting profanities and screaming. Tali managed to read the sign on the back of the speeding truck while she and the others were chasing after it:

'WELCOME TO HELL.'

AN

Sorry for being late again, I went on self writer's block, searching for ideas of how to continue the fiction in order to keep a semblance of quality. Also, thank you all for your patience, understanding and comments. Also, I have a few questions. I have a few ideas for new crossovers

(Avatar the last airbenderFar cry 3)

(Team fortress 2Warhammer 40k)

do they sound good and which would you prefer? Also, what do you like most about this current fanfic. Franklieu, no need to answer, it's the 'NO TEETH GODDAMMIT' joke from the previous part, right? Haha, kidding,your feedback, and that of anyone who bothers reading this, is much appreciated. Also, with the corona virus on the loose, I protect myself by wearing a hazmat suit that would make even a quarian jealous. Sure, I get a few weird glances from some people, but I don't give a fuck. Also, who can guess my country of origin?


	27. Army life

15th May 2179

This 6 month period of training was, just the way many others described it, like going through hell. The first 2 months were covering physical and mental conditioning. Shepard put the recruits through a torturous training regime focusing in precise, quick and stealthy movement in forested, mountainous and urban environments, in realistic combat situations. The first tries ended with many of the newbies covered in paintballs. After a lot of lectures about 'watching the corners', using drones or reflecting materials to see what lies behind them and some good old fashioned close quarters combat lessons, Shepard found the roles that best suited the physiology and the preferences of the trainees. After the second month of training, the batarians adopted the style of using bulletproof shields in tandem with Smith and Wesson handheld revolver shotguns, Kolyanov submachine guns, shortened versions of the ADK series assault rifles or Rosenkov AAS-12 automatic shotguns for fighting in enclosed spaces, while they used the PKX or the Browning-Gatling light machine guns variants with deployable shields along with other heavy weapons for open terrain. In both cases, the batarians where using power armor as they were better suited at taking all the pain and giving it back with interest, which also was very compatible with their mentality of perseverance, ruthlessness and stubbornness. The quarians, on the other hand, where outfitted with lightweight optical camo armor, which masked optical, heat and electronic signature along with the heartbeat. The wearer could stay camouflaged indefinitely as he remained still or if he moved very slowly or could stay stealthed for about a minute of movement and recharge later. Along with that came the Carcano-Beretta machine pistols, Intratec submachine guns, Ruger or Colt heavy pistols and Grummond shotguns for close quarter combat while they utilised Winfield or VSK series sniper rifles, Harkonen-Angstrom carbine rifles and FN series assault rifles for long range engagements. Along with the weapons and armor, the quarians were also equipped with combat drones and deployable turrets, all could be made on the battlefield with the help of a secondary nano assembling unit. At first, when the alien trainees watched the sheer amount and variety of weapons, armors and equipment stored in the armory, even the batarians stood with their mouths agape. A flurry of questions started after the initial impression was replaced by curiosity, from questions about weapon capabilities, history of them and why humanity didn't use mass effect weapons technology like the rest of the galaxy:

"Settle down lads and lassies, this is the final weapons and tactics training exercise. I know the hardware is by far better than those pea shooters you used before, but shut up and get to it." Shepard ordered. The reasons humanity declared the regular mass effect weapons obsolete were multiple, greatest of them the overheating problem. Also, mass effect weaponry shot grain sized rounds at very high speeds, which gave them good penetration, but caused little damage to the target unless it struck vital organs. Humanity instead improved on the original weapons, using element zero to increase muzzle velocity and to make heavy weapons lighter. Half an hour later, all 60 of the recruits were armed and ready for action. Their objective was to take over a part of the base, which was guarded by 200 human soldiers. They could do so in any way they chose, be it guns blazing and straightforward or smart and stealthy.

Another 15 minutes of briefing to the objective, composition of the battlefield and the approximate numbers and disposition of the troops who would act as the enemy guards. For the exercise, all of the participants had their weapons loaded with either concussive or stun rounds, the nano assembling units where set to only produce these types of ammo and the grenades and drones where set to non lethal modes:

"Alright, the briefing is over. There is still one small issue to address however. Which one of you hopeless maggots will be the leader on this operation? Be warned that in case of failure, the one in charge will be kicked out of the corps. Is there anybody among this sorry rabble who believes he has the bollocks to get the job done, or will one of the ladies have to grow a pair?" Shepard asked the group.

They all shifted slightly, unwilling to take command of the mission. Shepard could read their minds and discovered a detail he ignored earlier. The alien recruits were all privates in their respective armed forces, no captains, no lieutenants, not even a single honest to god sergeant was present in the mix, more than half of them didn't have actual combat experience. Shepard internally facepalmed himself for not noticing this earlier on. Maybe the punishment in case of failure was a bit severe, but no one can make omelette without breaking eggs. Still, he had to get a leader, so he started mind searching, as he nicknamed his technique of reading multiple minds for a certain piece of intel.

He caught plenty of promising candidates:

Kal'Reegar, quarian marine, hailing from a long family line of soldiers, brave, loyal, humorous, good marksman and capable hand to hand combatant. Fought against pirates in past skirmishes since he enlisted in 2176 and has a black ops report with his name on top of it. Tough as nails and with bollocks the size of brass boulders, unfortunately too much of a hothead, best suited as squad leader, not higher.

Sergar 'Sergei' Kreskelar, hailing from planet Anhur, born in the warrior caste in 2156, orphaned during the batarian revolutions when he was 4 years old, enlisted in the Abode auxiliary forces at age 16. Frequently participates in boxing, wrestling and martial arts matches, has 21 victories and 2 draws, currently holds 4 titles. Trained well on firearms and power suits, but prefers brawn over brains due to his rowdy behaviour and impatience.

Tali'Zorah, daughter and only child of admiral Rael'Zorah. Gifted engineer and mechanic, keen strategic mind, trained by private tutors in combat and piloting. Aced most of these lessons. Shows a lot of promise but never served in any military because of her young age and is shy about it. Lied about her age by claiming she was 2 months older so as to be accepted in the special forces training program. Gave no reason to be kicked out.

Akhemisa Wredgoros, born in planet Abode in the city of Zagor, forced to enlist after getting caught for armed robbery, which apparently was orchestrated by her, in age 17. Cold, calculating, intelligent, ruthless, a hell of a shot and a skilled engineer. Could be a good leader, if it wasn't for her lack of tact and antisocial tendencies. Shepard previously had a 'talk' with her to find out more about her, which went like this.

3 days ago...

Another day of intense training came to an end. Akhemisa and the others took out their power armors and stored the weapons and shields back in the armory.

Her arms still felt numb from carrying the shield and shooting for about 3 hours straight and her legs were heavy from the endless running, turning and sudden pace change. Before she could make her way to the barracks, the voice of drill instructor Shepard called from a long distance behind her:

"Wredgoros, a minute of your time please."

It wasn't the usual gruff and demanding voice, but still as resolute as ever. Akhemisa made her way to the office, not really bothered to think why she was called. It was most likely her whole 'silent and antisocial' approach she adopted. It served her well in the past, but after the job that went wrong, she had to uphold the most important part of her former gang's code, the oath of silence,which dictated that unless she talked with someone of her gang, she would have to maintain minimal communication to avoid giving away any secrets, willingly or by accident. So long, she did pretty well. All she had to do was to persuade the drill instructor to keep her, not very hard as she proved that she is a decent and capable soldier. She stopped outside Shepard's office door and knocked:

"Come in. Have a seat." He answered. Akhemisa did so and opened the door. She saw Shepard cleaning his signature revolver, a gun which, albeit an old design, could be extremely lethal at the hands of a professional. Just a week ago, when Shepard started training them in the use of human made weapons instead of standard mass effect weapons, ADK-15 assault rifles to be specific.

Flashback...

"Congratulations my dear crows, you just became the proud wielders of the ADK-15 soviet made assault rifles, some of the most reliable and iconic weapons ever made. For the next exercise, you will run through the sandbox, into the mud pit, inside the forest and to the firing range. Don't worry about mud, water or sand getting inside your precious, it will keep firing straight and well. Any questions?"

A lone quarian raised his hand. Akhemisa didn't remember his name, she only knew him as the guy who was easily impressed, everyone called him the fanboy:

"Drill instructor, with all due and respect, but only a few of us saw you in action. You carry this handgun of yours and we are itching to learn how it works compared to the mass effect guns."

Shepard could understand that the fanboy was just looking for a chance to make himself look brave, cocksure little shit. Too bad for the soon to be reduced into a blubbering mess of a soldier for a least a week that the notorious hunter had a way of dealing with these cocky pricks:

"You're in luck then lad, cause a demonstration is in order. Come here, don't be shy. And don't forget the rifle." Shepard gently called him. The human officers were smirking slightly, knowing full well what happened to those who tried to act tough, especially if they did so diplomatically. Shepard really hated when someone used the phrase 'with all due and respect'. Shepard was the one to use it against Färber everytime he wanted to insult him. The reward was often served cold, in the form of naked running in a brisk snowy night, or painful and exhausting if the gruff colonel was in a bad mood, which surprisingly was pretty uncommon:

"Good, now look towards me." Shepard instructed the gun wielding quarian. He did so and now the 2 were looking at each other, the distance separating them was about 7 meters (23 feet), the other recruits were watching from the sidelines, like a duel in the wipd west:

"Is your gun locked, loaded and ready to fire pipsqueak?" Shepard asked, his sarcastic tone never absent. The fanboy looked more sceptical this time, but he checked the magazine, put the safety off and pulled the slide back, chambering a 7.92 mm armor piercing round:

"Alright, now I want you to aim at my head and pull the trigger." Shepard ordered, all previous mirth replaced by cold seriousness. The eyes of all the other participants went wide and various mutters and voices of disbelief spread among the group:

"A... are... is that a joke drill instructor?"

The fanboy asked, keeping the gun barrel pointed down:

"Do I need to repeat myself, I said aim at my head and shoot." Shepard ordered again. The quarian was frozen, he just couldn't believe the order he was given. Did Shepard go insane all of a sudden? Sure, he could be intense and violent from time to time, but this was too much:

"WHAT ARE YOU BLOODY DEAF? I SAID SHOOT ME IN THE GODDAMN HEAD YOU WORTHLESS FUCK! DO IT NOW!" Shepard shouted. The fanboy gulped and did so. Just as the round was getting out of the barrel and faster than the eye could see, Shepard pulled his revolver, rested the barrel on his side and pulled the trigger and the hammer with such speed that the 2 gunshots ringed simultaneously. Shepard then holstered the gun just before a metal ping was heard across the area. Everyone was shock still as Shepard walked towards the quarian shooter, stopped somewhere in the middle, picked up an object from the ground and showed it to the gasping crowd. Everyone was looking at 2 bullets that lodged into one another almost dead center and even the officers were paralysed by this near impossible feat:

"Anyone else who wants a close demonstration of proper ballistics?" Shepard asked almost nonchalantly.

End flashback...

No one asked for another that day. Akhemisa was impressed from Shepard not just because of his skill, but from the way he sent the message without resorting to pointless prattle:

"I believe you know why I called you here."

Shepard asked, laying his gun, the cleaning rod and the brush on his desk. Akhemisa respectfully nodded her head:

"So you are also aware that I want to try and fix this issue. Don't worry, I did my research and I understand that you are under the oath." Shepard said quietly, making the batarian former criminal's eyes go wide:

"You know? How?" She asked after the initial shock settled. Shepard smiled:

"Let's just say you are not the only one who had bad company or troubles with the law in the past. What matters however is the present. The oath is noble and I respect it as much as you, but you are running with a different gang right now." Shepard said softly:

"The other cadets?" Akhemisa asked, despite knowing that she was correct. Shepard smiled and nodded:

"Exactly. They are the ones who will have your back in the coming years. Your new crew. And they need someone to lead them. Smart, loyal and dedicated, someone they can look up to. You know what I mean, don't you?" Shepard knew his plan worked at least partially. He initially considered using his powers to make Akhemisa take the leadership position. There was zero possibility for anyone to find out and he was in good terms with the higher echelons, which allowed him some slack. But his own dislike of fucking with the minds of other people and that strange psychic message he received after the botched mission in Akuze were enough to dissuade him:

"I am honored by your high opinion drill instructor, but I don't feel comfortable about this sudden change. From pariah to leader... no, it is too sudden, it can cause confusion in the ranks. Maybe I am more fit as a second in command?" Akhemisa recommended:

"You are saying I should give Tali'Zorah the chance then?" Shepard asked. The batarian stared, then nodded:

"I see you are very perceptive drill instructor. She has more empathy than me and really cares for the others." She answered. Truly, Shepard always saw

young Tali's potential, despite the fact that most trainees looked at her like she was a child:

"Alright then, that will be all. Dismissed."

Shepard ordered. Akhemisa saluted and exited the office.

Back to the present...

Among all the hopefuls, it was Tali'Zorah who stepped forward, just as expected:

"I volunteer." Tali said. Her voice was resolute, but Shepard could understand from the slight twitches that she was nervous. Another quarian from behind shouted at Tali:

"YOU THINK BECAUSE YOUR FATHER IS AN ADMIRAL YOU CAN JUST..." His aggressive complaint was cut short by Kal'Reegar, who squeezed the complainer's shoulder hard, and Akhemisa, who gave him a look that could make plants wither. Suffice to say, with no one to support him, he took the message and backed off:

"You have 1 hour to make a decent battle plan and deploy without being noticed. The targets are unaware when they will be attacked, so it's business as usual. Good luck and I hope you will provide a good show." Shepard said as he turned heel and left, leaving more than 50 people staring at Tali and waiting for her guidance:

"What's the plan ma'am?" Kal'Reegar eagerly asked. Tali didn't respond, instead heading towards the tactical display, a rectangular holographic monitor as tall as a man and filled with the overview of the operation area. She went over the map, trying to formulate a plan:

"Okay, we set a squad of snipers here, shield carriers at these 2 roads to provide suppressing fire, a team of engineers will send drones overhead..." Tali was talking a bit too fast, making Kal stop her:

"Whoa, calm down ma'am, just tell us where you need us, we have communication devices if you need to relay new orders on the field." Kal calmed her down. Tali nodded and continued:

"Thanks Kal [inhale]. Alright, new plan. We split in 6 teams, 10 in each team. These are the deployment locations, now to give you the call signs..."

56 minutes later...

"All squads, this is Handler, give me a sitrep." Tali said through her comm:

"Longshot here, we have the high ground and multiple targets on the vicinity." Answered a female quarian sniper:

"This is Stalker. They haven't noticed us yet. Awaiting for the signal." Kal'Reegar said quietly, clearly itching for action:

"Brawler here. Ready to breach the barracks." Kreskelar answered in his gruff voice, which had a funny sounding Russian accent:

"Raider squad in position." Akhemisa acknowledged:

"This is Sentry team, awaiting orders." The last batarian squad leader confirmed:

"Good. Operation Clockwork is go, repeat, is go. Brawler squad, breach the barracks, Longshot, provide sniper cover. Raider team, deploy machine guns." Tali ordered. A series of acknowledgements followed, also a remark from Kal'Reegar:

"Tali, are you seriously making references to that game again?" He asked:

"Shut up Kal." Tali flipped him off.

A few seconds later, the peace and quiet that reigned in the night was replaced by the shouts of people, gunfire and explosions. It all sounded so real that Tali nearly forgot that it was an exercise. She continued issuing orders like her life depended on it. It was almost fun, just like in 'Art of Warfare', a human made strategy game she was playing in her free time. From the Napoleonic wars and the 1812 war all the way to the Shanxi invasion back in 2157, every large scale war and some minor skirmishes were included in the game. Tali couldn't believe that humanity managed to survive and thrive in this state of near constant conflict that already spanned more than 300 years and lasted till present time. Her doubts were quickly evaporated once she realised that the game was actually based on a realistic combat simulator and the events in the game were accurate. This revelation both impressed and terrified Tali, but it explained how the terran coalition became such a powerful force. Also, the game taught her a lot about history, tactics, strategy and weapons. Worth the 65 funds needed to buy the 'Eternal conflict expansion pack'. She was jostled back in reality by her buzzing comm:

"Sentry here, hostiles are heading towards your direction." The voice of the team leader was calm and collected, which meant that everything was going according to the plan:

"As expected. Proceed as planned." Tali ordered. She didn't know why, but she felt confident on herself for some reason, like she could get the job done. Maybe her training under Shepard, maybe the way she planned the battle, no idea. Soon, 4 dozens of enemy troopers arrived, rushing to take cover in the hangar bay. Too bad that Tali was inside this very structure and Sentry team was located in the opposite building, machine guns at the ready. Easy pickings.

A few minutes later...

The whole battlefield was covered in bright orange paint and lying troops who were playing dead. The mission was a success and Shepard sounded the alarm to signify the end of the exercise. The bodies rised up and started cheering for the victors, making fun of the way some people were hit and going to wash the paint. Tali suffered only 9 'casualties' in the clash, an acceptable result, but she was amongst them as she took the hit for one of her fellow soldiers. Shepard dismissed the others and gave them a 24 hour leave as reward, but he kept Tali. His expression was neutral, but his eyes betrayed hidden emotion. Tali couldn't understand if it was anger, sadness or disappointment:

"The mission is a success, too bad you wouldn't live to see it through if this was a real engagement." Shepard said and shook his head in disappointment:

"I'm sorry drill instructor, I... I just..." Tali was interrupted by Shepard raising his hand:

"Listen, what you did was admirable, I respect that. Not many have the bollocks to take a bullet for someone else, but you need to learn the most important rule of war. You are no good to anyone if you die, especially if you are in charge." He explained:

"I understand, but..." Tali was again interrupted:

"You could choose any other job that exists, you have the connections and the brains. Instead, you want to become a spec ops soldier and risk your life while you are barely 18 years old, why?"

Shepard asked with an almost pleading voice. Tali took some time to recover first:

"I believe I am doing the right thing. Someone has to." She answered. She was almost trembling from emotion, but her voice was resolute and truthful. At this point, Shepard started pacing and muttering to himself, clearly conflicted about something. He didn't look like the hardcore elite soldier anymore, Tali could say that something troubled him greatly, so against her better judgement, she hugged him. The effect was instantaneous. Shepard stopped dead on his tracks, eyes wide open and unable to comprehend what was happening. He got his bearings eventually and asked:

"What made you think this is a good idea?"

Shepard sounded curious. He wasn't angry and it looked like the hug calmed him down a bit:

"I didn't think at all, it just felt right, I am sorry, I..." Shepard hushed her by pressing his index fingers on Tali's lips, which were, like the rest of her face, covered in cold sweat:

"No need to be. You proved you belong to the special forces. Not just that, you also have a strong moral compass, a very rare trait. We will make a fine soldier out of you yet..." At this point, Shepard adopted a wide smile, which was partially hidden by goatee:

"...but for the other thing, you are still a wee bit young for me taste. Come back in a couple of years and we'll see." Shepard winked and turned tail, leaving a blushing, wide-eyed female quarian behind. When Shepard was out of earshot, Kal'Reegar started laughing like a maniac to Tali's predicament:

"Ancestors above, you really fancy him, don't you Tali?" Another fit of laughter followed, further agitating the quarian in question:

"Oh, too bad I didn't record the hug, it would be..." Kal stopped yapping as a certain 3 fingered hand slapped him right on the face:

"SHUT UP YOU TEASING BOSH'TET! Tali yelled embarrassed, her normally pale grey face now a deep purple. Kal staggered a bit but didn't stop laughing, until...:

"KAL'REEGAR, IF YOU DON'T DISSAPPEAR IN 3 FUCKING SECONDS, YOU WILL SPEND YOUR LEAVE CLEANING ARMORS AND TOILETS TILL THEY SHINE, NOW BEAT IT, RUN LIKE THE WIND YOU LITTLE CUNT!" Shepard's voice sounded from a drone that flew close. Tali, while happy for being rescued and watching Kal stumbling and running like his ass was on fire, bark a laugh until reality sinked in:

"Oh Keelah." She facepalmed as she moved to the barracks to change into her own clothes and get drunk to forget this whole craziness, at least for a bit.

Meanwhile, somewhere in the citadel...

"Matriarch Benezia, you know I respect your wisdom, but don't you think that allying with Saren is too dangerous? I heard some very disturbing rumours about how he works." An asari disciple asked the seasoned matriarch:

"I know it is a risky task, but there is more to Saren than what the eye sees. Just listen..."

Benezia started recounting the events that previously occurred, explaining about the circumstances that led Saren to this dark path.

Saren apparently saw his brother Desolas being killed right in front of his eyes during

the Shanxi invasion in 2157. He was previously saved and taken prisoner by a human medic. Released after failed attempt to dissuade Desolas Arterius from executing civilians. Showed biotic potential in 2158. Instead of joining the ranks of the turian cabal, he underwent spectre training and excelled at nearly every exercise. Was accepted in the office of Special Tactics and Reconnaissance (Spectres) in 2159. His first psychological evaluation showed symptoms of PTSD and schizoid personality disorder. In the interview, he admitted that he also felt bitter about humanity and quoted that he genuinely wanted to serve the council:

"I got the file from the late matriarch Drypeta, may she find peace in the embrace of the goddess. It says that Saren's skill was too great to pass, so they accepted him, despite the risk." Benezia adeed as she started reading another file, this time sealed spectre records.

Saren showed signs of instability when on a mission against a chapter of blue suns mercenaries in 2163. 54 total dead, the 3 human leaders hanged from a weapon rack and shot in the knees, which resulted in death by strangulation.

"That video came from a security camera which operated in a closed circuit and thus wasn't wiped clean." Benezia said and moved onto the next file. Another mission in 2165 showed that in a mission to capture or eliminate Dr. Shu Qian, a rogue AI developer, who was hiding somewhere in the terminus systems. The coalition wanted to capture him alive and sent David Anderson to tag along with Saren. The mission ended with a refinery blown up and Shu Qian killed. Saren blames David for the destruction, but a diplomatic incident was averted due to 'lack of evidence':

"Matriarch, did you get all that data from a certain human?" Another asari disciple asked, earning giggles from the assembly. Benezia blushed slightly, but otherwise showed no emotion:

"Director Espinoza was and still is nothing but honest with me. I trust his judgement and the information we share all proved genuine. I do enjoy our meetings, but that's it." She answered and moved to the last file, a profile she compiled for Saren.

Currently longest serving turian member, with over 40 successful missions in his records, which he completed with deadly efficiency. Concerns where raised about his methods, as he seemingly had no regard for sentient life and didn't care for casualties as long as the objective was completed successfully. After 2165, all files on Saren disappeared from the spectre data banks:

"As you see, we have to try and nudge Saren towards a more peaceful path. He is not inherently evil, but his hate already cost the life of many. The council will not accept disavowing him, so it falls to me. Everyone who wants to follow me in this dangerous undertaking, raise your hands."

Benezia said with a smooth voice. All the disciples raised their hands, understanding that their beloved matriarch would need all the help she could get, their devotion putting a smile on her face.

Earth, somewhere in London, 16th May 2179, 0015 SET

"Douglas, me boy, you finally decided to give a call to your old man?" Keith Mandrel happily asked to the comm. He was a bit drunk, but coherent enough to talk normally:

"Sorry da, I was too busy training the crows. I have time now at least. How's it going back on Earth?" Shepard asked:

"Same old horseshit son. Beer is expensive, Liverpool struggles in the field and the 10th street reds became too big to represent the team. The new clique sucks worse than ever. At least your mum is alright, so is your sis. Don't know about Bryce, he and the reds are conducting business across the galaxy. Last I heard, he is somewhere in the terminus, the bloody idiot." Keith shook his head and continued:

"We have enough funds at least. I bought the pub a few months ago and it makes decent money. Had to hire guards to keep the peace though, the bloody coppers don't give a shit." He said and spat on the ground:

"So mum's sickness is over? Is she here" Shepard asked:

"Aye, but she's sleeping. Now, anything else you want to blabber about?"

The conversation revolved around various topics, some of them sprinkled with profanity by adoptive parent and adopted son:

"Hey, did you get any news about your real dad?" Keith asked:

"Nothing, the trail is cold. Didn't have much time to look though, why asking?" Shepard answered:

"Well, I was with the lads a few days ago. You remember Terry Brooks?" Keith asked. Shepard tried to recall and answered:

"Ye.. Yeah, that crusty old beaver with the eyepatch. That guy who works as a janitor in the Old Mill hotel, right?" Shepard gave his answer. Keith nodded and continued:

"That's the one. So, he was promoted to hygiene manager and came to the Red Carp to party. He said he stumbled upon an old spy camera in one of the rooms. Long story short, after riling through most of the recording, which included porn and fetishes, he saw a part which showed a man applying a tattoo on a baby boy, the exact same you have on your forearm." Keith said, dead serious. Shepard blinked as realisation sunk in:

"Bullshit. You're pulling me leg here, right?"

Shepard asked dumbfounded. Keith's expression however showed he wasn't lying:

"No me boy. I checked that footage meself, and I swear to me life and that of Bryce and Janet that I was completely sober when I watch the footage. The tattoo was exactly the same and the date showed that the recording was from 5th August 2159, the exact day we found you.

And the man who gave you that ink was definitely your real dad. Good news, he didn't abandon you so he wasn't a posh wanker as we originally thought, bad news... actually, watch for yourself." Keith said and sent the file:

"Can you disconnect dad? I want to stay alone for a wee bit." Shepard said. Keith obliged him and closed the link. Shepard opened the video and watched. He saw the whole scene unfold. His father entering the room with a small suitcase in one hand and holding a baby, him, in the other. Then came the part where he was tattooed. When his work was done, he heard his father's voice:

"Look at you. 3 years old and you didn't even flinch. I know grown men who would piss their pants to the sight of that needle. Heh, I don't really know if you will become the hero your mother claims, but I'll stake my life that whoever's going to mess with you will pay dearly." The man on the recording said. Then came another man, one that Sebastian Shepard called Jack.

Douglas saw the deal between them. He couldn't see the face of this Jack Harper but he heard about the cerberus initiative and the involvement of director Espinoza. That part sent a chill to his spine, but what came next was even worse. He saw Jack Harper's face, then saw him shooting Sebastian with an electro dart, stating that

whoever knew but wasn't aligned with cerberus was to be eliminated. Thankfully, Shepard had serious encryption and Keith's device was off the grid, which meant no spooks would go after them. He later saw an AI platform taking his father away and Harper to the other room. That's were the footage was frozen. Shepard was staring at the image for a good couple of minutes, letting the information sink in. According to the footage, his real father was likely dead by now. He didn't have the electronic address of the head spook, and even if he could call, Shepard would certainly end up dead. To add insult to the injury, Jack Harper was a ghost, so no trail to follow. All this rage and anger welled into Shepard, until he snapped:

"Son of a BITCH!" He shouted as he threw one of his model spaceships on a window, shattering both:

"FUCK!"

AN

I apologise for yet another very late update. I actually finished it 3 weeks ago, but I didn't like it and rewrote it. Also, the plague is really taking a toll to the mentality of some people. Most are strolling around completely unprotected, which resulted in about 300 new cases in just 5 days. Me, I still use my trusty gas mask and hazmat suit, despite the heat increase and odd looks. Fuck them, I say, if they want to be infected that bad, its their funeral. Anyway, I am ranting again, hope you enjoy the new chapter, I am always open to ideas and comments and above all, STAY SAFE AND HEALTHY.


	28. Graduation party in Torfan

4th September 2179, Fort Gyurza

Shepard was briefing the recruits for the mission in Torfan, the very moment they were waiting for. It was almost time to prove their mettle after so much preparation. The last 4 months passed almost like a breeze. Since the success of the conquest mission, Shepard, who became more casual and fonder of the recruits over time, focused more at teaching use of different weapons and advanced tactics rather than physical conditioning this time. Sure, the morning exercise was inevitable, tiring and boring as always, but the afternoon exercises were replaced with more interesting activities like:

**Advanced weaponry and combat maneuvering training...**

"AHAHAHAHAHA, CRY SOME MOOOORE! DIE SCREAMING STUPID ENEMY MANNEQUINS, BWAHAHAHAHAAAA!"

Sergar screamed and laughed at the top of his lungs while firing the dual miniguns of his juggernaut power armour. His voice was amplified and deepened by the suit and, in combination with the painted shark mouth on the helmet and many discouraging messages scrawled all around, he truly looked terrifying in appearance. The others stopped shooting downrange as they witnessed the sheer carnage that Sergar was unleashing. When all targets were reduced to shreds and smoking pieces, the shooting finally stopped:

"YES, I LOVE THIS THING! SO MUCH BETTER THAN REGULAR SMALL ARMS!" He shouted. Another armour wearing batarian whacked Sergar to the back of his head:

"Hey, leave some for us next time you greedy bastard." He jokingly vexed his burly compatriot:

"First come, first serve comrade Vren."

Sergar happily answered, still pumped up from all the shooting:

"THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A TRAINING EXERCISE YOU OAF! AND YOU WEREN'T SUPPOSED TO USE LIVE AMMO! AND STOP WITH THE WHOLE SOVIET JARGON, YOU ARE BATARIAN!" Akhemisa shouted. She became more talkative, but no less intimidating, as time passed, making her more respected among the ranks:

"Now that was totally uncalled for comrade Wredgoros. It was the party that took me in when I had absolutely nothing left. So show some proper respect please." Sergar protested as politely as possible. Akhemisa smirked and handed him a broom and a shovel:

"Then be a good worker boy and clean this mess. The drill instructor put me in charge of you lot and the last thing I need is to get an ear full. We will be in the flamethrower range." Akhemisa grinned and patted Sergar on the shoulder, leaving him stunned as she left with the others. He wasn't really happy about the fact that he had to clean the carnage he left behind, but he got to it, grumbling and swearing under his breath. Until he got the idea of hiding the pieces in a nearby warehouse.

He buried the small pieces under the dirt with a shovel and stashed the broken mannequins in a tarp. He happily threw them away behind a crate and covered them with said tarp. When he turned to the exit, he saw Shepard right in front of him, leaning on the door case and drinking beer from a bottle, not even bothering to look at him:

"You know that the target practice dummies are not biodegradable, right mate?" Shepard nonchalantly asked. Sergar knew that he screwed up and shook his head. The drill instructor just exhaled and walked towards him:

"You know, I would certainly do the same thing in your potition. But I have to punish you for being caught. 3 days latrine duty. Next time try to be more stealthy."

The answer didn't really surprise Sergar, he knew he was screwed the moment Shepard saw him. He huffed and headed outside, but a hand on his shoulder stopped him:

"You forgot something lad." Douglas said and showed the discarded pile of mannequins. Sergar shook his head in frustration and picked it up:

"Permission to speak freely drill instructor?" The burly batarian asked, still holding the tarp with its contents:

"Sure, go ahead lad." Shepard gave his permission:

"You know you're a real asshole, yes?" Shepard just chuckled at that remark:

"Thanks, I would be bad at my job if I wasn't. But if you don't beat it in 3 seconds, the 3 days will become 1 week, now get the fuck out of my sight, off you go." Shepard ordered, his smirk plastered on his face. He did learn something from Strasskov after all.

**Animal care...**

"This day, we have some very special guests ladies and...dudes. Born and trained in Germany, a country of planet Earth with long military tradition, the canine prides of the 103rd tactical SMACC corps 'Rasend Hunde', behold the elite seeker squad!" Corporal Guzman, recently promoted, announced. Out of the shuttle came 10 lightly armoured, sunglasses wearing handlers, each of them with a steel jawed, waist tall, german shepherd alongside. The centuries old tradition of using animals in war withstood the test of time and modern technology made them even deadlier. Besides, who wouldn't be afraid of a four-legged mass of flesh and steel plates which was running towards them, hell bent on ripping the throats of its enemies out? A combat demonstration later, which included many decapitated or dismembered mannequins later, the quarians were clapping, the batarians did not look as impressed:

"Not to sound disrespectful, but why don't you use varren? They are bigger and by nature more aggressive than your attack dogs." That came from Gulash Kai'Ram, a former varren trainer who followed his father's footsteps for a couple of years, until his enlistment. The remark he made earned him a cold stare from each member of the seeker squad, even the dogs looked at him angrily:

"Hey, let's stay calm people, his point may be misguided, but it's valid. Captain Eckhart, if you please." Guzman attempted to calm the spirits, hands raised at a calming position. A grizzled, heavy set man with a full grown beard stepped forward:

"Mein name ist Herbert Eckhart, I am der captain of zhe elite seeker squad. I vas training hunde since I was a 17 year old boy. Vhile you correctly deduced that varren are seemingly more fit for combat, zat is far from zhe truth. Zhese creatures are undisciplined, inelegant und can serve more as bullet sponges rather zhan actual

combatants."

The captain said in an annoyed monotone, his thick german accent present in every word. Gulash looked offended but knew better than to disagree with the man:

"Anyone else who wants to ask something? No? Let's proceed then. The commander brought some more special guests. Straight out of the siberian steppes, the best of the 68th assault SMACC corps 'Beastmancer', a warm applause for the bear rider squad." Guzman announced again. What came out of the other shuttle earned a wholly different reaction instead. The quarians and the batarians were shocked still and wide eyed as they saw 6 lumbering war bears exiting the barracks. Each bear rider

wore the traditional soviet ushanka hat and red long-coats over their flak armour suits:

"Greetings comrades, there is no reason to fear us, our beasts are very friendly to their allies." A short woman riding on top of a black bear, clearly the leader of the group,

announced, her bear giving a soft roar. The moment of awe ended when the aliens saw captain Eckhart slowly advancing towards the female officer, hands clenched in fists and jaw set. He looked pretty angry for some reason, even the hairs of the dogs stood upright:

"Vhat zhe hell are you doing here?" Eckhart threateningly asked the bear riding woman. She nonchalantly dismounted and walked towards the angry captain, completely unfazed:

"Nothing, just showing our allies the might of the soviet war bear, and you can call me captain Svetlana Volkova sweetheart." She shot back:

"Vhat might? All I can see iz a bunch of morbidly obese oversized furballs, maybe you need an eye exam?" Eckhart taunted, earning a chuckle from his fellow squad mates:

"Did you check you dogs for fleas? All they do is scratch themselves and leak their testicles. Also, they drink from toilets." Volkova shot back, making her companions laugh this time. They trashed talked each other for some time, until they targeted the aliens for support, while they were either murmuring with each other or just stared uneasily at the whole show:

"Hey, if you quarian fellows use bears, you can kiss goodbye zhe vay of finesse, because theze ztinky beasts only know how to barrel through zhe obstacles." Eckhart tried to persuade the quarians:

"The mere presence of my bears is enough to terrorise any enemies foolish enough to threaten us or our allies. Our batarian comrades where right about your dogs, you should train varren instead." Raucous laughter followed. Eckhart and his squad, along with the now barking and growling dogs, looked ready to lunge on their opponents, and they would have if someone didn't start shooting. Some dove for cover and others checked themselves for injuries after it stopped, their combat reflexes kicking in:

"Now that you people cooled off, can we continue with the practice lessons please? I really want that 2 day leave." It was Guzman who talked, holding a smoking sidearm. They all hastily obliged, the quarians went to train with the seeker squad while the batarians were assigned for war bear training. Meanwhile, sergeant Artyom Dezerian, who was watching how his new assistant worked, whacked Guzman to the head:

"Hey, what was that for?" The freshly promoted corporal asked:

"Tell me, why are you such an idiot you stupid fuck? You've done so well making these pricks shut the hell up and get working and then you ruined it." Dezerian answered through his teeth. Guzman looked confused:

"What did I do wrong?" His question only made Dezerian angrier:

"You didn't use a single curse. You were too sweet and fucking mellow, that's what you did wrong. These morons must get used to adversity and insults to better cope with the terrors of warfare. And if you ever have to use the word 'please' in front of the trainees, you do so sarcastically." The answer was swift and in a hushed tone. Guzman was about to answer when a squad of armed troopers came running towards them:

"Sergeant, we heard gunfire, is everything alright here?" The leader of the group asked, breathing heavily:

"The gunfire was part of an exercise, there is a problem however. This pissant here believes that it's bad to use foul language. So, I want you to take him to the bar and not let him leave until he learns how to use every single insult and curse word that exists in this godamn galaxy." Dezerian ordered as he pushed the hapless corporal towards them. He couldn't see their expressions behind the tinted glass visors, but he was almost certain that these guys were smiling:

"Don't worry sarge, he will make a sailor blush when we are done. But first, we got to talk leave time." The squad leader, a lance corporal answered. Artyom opened his wrist tablet, typed a message and, a few seconds later, a reply came:

"You are cleared men. Just show the code to the nearest gate and you get 24 hours leave. It will become active in 20 minutes."

He answered and sent the code to the squad's tablets:

"Pleasure doing business sir." The squad leader saluted and left with the others, taking an arguing and complaining Guzman with them:

"Quit your bitching Nicki boy, you will be a proper NCO one day. In a few years, we will be reminiscing these moments and laugh." Artyom shouted and laughed. He checked to see how the recruits were doing and he was impressed. The quarians took a great liking to the dogs and the batarians, especially Sergar, were enjoying watching the bears walk on their hind legs or rip apart mannequins with their claws. A good day overall.

**Combat vehicle driving lessons... **

Mayhem reigned supreme as the cadets were locked in a flurry of vehicular combat in the mud pit. Apart from the medics and the assistant drill instructors who were present, 2 more people were watching the show from the secluded gallery box, which was normally reserved for VIP's:

"So, what do you think about them love? Do they need more training or they can make do in actual combat situations?" Shepard, sitting on a deck chair, drink in his hand, asked the person next to him, who was also sitting on a deck chair:

"You know well enough that I am a commentator and not a driver, what do you need my opinion for?" The person next to Shepard, a female by the sound of her voice, asked:

"Come on now Nir, don't sell yourself short. Besides, I know about yer little guilty pleasure of driving high quality italian automobiles. Also, your photo shoots in Italy and France makes a lot of the lads, and some of the lassies, drool all over the place. I really like the one where you lie down on the hood wearing a see through dress. Who knew red and blue mix so well." Shepard made a snide remark, making Niralya's face go from blueish purple to deep purple for a good few seconds, also earning a quick guffaw from Douglas. She recovered quickly however and smirked:

"Are you jealous of my assets Dougie? Or you genuinely care for me?" Niralya said while she caressed herself from chest to hips, looking Douglas straight to the eye. Shepard's eyebrows shot all the way up. Then he grinned and answered:

"What if I say that the latter is correct lass?" Shepard asked:

"Then you earn my friendly advice, a date with an asari supermodel and maybe a trip to your room." Niralya said suggestively:

"Heh, tempting, but I would prefer the advice first, then we'll see." Shepard answered, causing the enthusiastic asari to slightly deflate:

"Alright then, from what I see, your troops certainly mastered the basics and can be branded as capable in vehicular combat. But, you said that they are training as special forces, so the bar must be set higher. Trust me, if you teach them some more advanced maneuvers like barrel rolls, endos and such, it will be both a confidence boost for fellow soldiers and a demoralising blow for your enemies." She finished explaining:

"Which means that the training is going to take a couple of weeks longer. I wouldn't mind much if present company remained here for some... recreational activities, if you know what I mean." Shepard winked as he suggested. Niralya looked around a bit and smiled wide:

"Quiet, secluded and comfortable, I don't see why not." She said, slowly getting closer to the hunter, like a predator on the prowl, her eyes locked on his. Their faces inched closer and closer, the lips almost touched. It was the sound of an explosion that made them both turn. They both saw the burning wrecks of 2 light combat vehicles and the firefighters rushing to the scene along with the medics. Shepard didn't lose a beat, he gained some momentum and jumped out of the wide open window. He landed about 5 meters (16,4 feet) from the gallery box, rolled when he touched the ground and ran towards the scene of the accident. Niralya, who was at loss for a bit, soon followed, using her biotics to land. She could hear Shepard and his assistants swearing profusely as they were coordinating the rescue of the 4 drivers. It took a few minutes until the fires were extinguished and the injured safe for treatment. No casualties, except the vehicles, but Shepard was still fuming at this unfortunate turn of events:

"HEY, THIS IS A MILITARY BASE, NOT A FUCKING TOURIST ATTRACTION! GET THE HELL AWAY FROM HERE BEFORE I SHOVE MY BOOT UP YOUR BLUE..." Guzman saw Niralya's back and thought that she was some visitor, journalist or, even worse, a possible spy because she was an asari. He paused when he saw her face, a face he knew pretty well:

"Oh, huuuuh, hello Ms B'Sern, eeehm, sorry, I didn't recognise you." Corporal Guzman continued in a much softer voice and rubbed the back of neck, obviously feeling guilty:

"Private Guzman, what happened to you?"

She asked. The last time the 2 met, Nicholas was the easily impressed recruit who followed Niralya around asking for an autograph. Really cute, but a bit annoying:

"And you remember me too, this day is getting better. Also, it's eeeh... it's corporal now." He answered as he showed his insignia, being reduced to a giddy, blubbering moron filled with excitement by now:

"NICKI BOY! I SEE YOU NEED SOME RETRAINING! GET YOUR SORRY ASS HERE RIGHT NOW, WE ARE HITTING THE BAR!" A loud voice, which belonged to none other than Artyom Dezerian, called from behind the young corporal, breaking him out of his trance. Poor Nicholas hastily waved goodbye at Niralya as he took off running:

"Don't worry, it's only part of his training. If he aims to become an NCO, he needs to learn how to keep his wits about." Shepard made the asari yelp as he walked behind her, without making a single sound, and giving her a slap on the ass:

"Hey, don't do that again." She demanded:

"Do what?" Shepard asked innocently:

"Being such a vexatious person for once. It is funny sometimes but now it's just plain annoying and mean. How can you treat people like that? What happened to you, what made you so uncaring?" Niralya's voice cracked slightly. Shepard stared at her with disbelief:

"You really believe that I don't care?" He said with a hushed voice. He then looked around and nodded for her to follow, his expression serious as he was almost pulling the hapless maiden. They both went into a mobile artillery vehicle hangar and hid. Shepard checked around again:

"What I am going to say will not get out of these walls, understand?" He asked with urgency:

"Goddess Douglas, you are scaring me, what is happening?" Now Niralya was in the verge of panicking as she was already

sweating. Shepard closed her mouth with his left hand and put his right index finger on his lips:

"Shh, I'm letting you on a secret. It will help you understand. If you want to hear it, that is. Regardless, you won't tell anyone about this, okay?" This wasn't a question, it was an order. Niralya nervously nodded. Shepard removed his hand from her mouth:

"What do you know about the slaver attacks that happened a few months ago?" Douglas asked. The asari looked a bit confused:

"Ahh, yes I remember. A gang of slavers attacked a joint batarian-quarian expedition to a couple of moons close to Abode and captured many slaves, right?"

Shepard nodded at her words:

"That's the official story. But there's more to it..." Douglas explained about how the slavers were still at large in coalition space, the lack of knowledge about where their base of operations is or how they get supplied, the military build-up in hegemony space and the unknown fate of the captured:

"We are facing a crisis as you see, which will lead either in a diplomatic incident at best or full out war. And guess who will be behind the enemy lines." Shepard finished:

"But I thought you enjoy fighting, you are very good at it." The asari said:

"I do, but I'm not worried about me, I'm talking about the little pissants that I've been training about 4 months now. Because both the quarian and the batarian republic's army are in shambles, they gave kids for me to train as special forces, most of them aren't even 20 years old. And they expect me to keep them alive out there. I'll be dammed if I..." Shepard abruptly stopped and perked up:

"What's the matter Doug?" Niralya worriedly asked:

"Follow my lead." He whispered:

"What do you MMMMPH..." She was interrupted by a pair of lips that connected

with her own. Then came the hands around her waist and a lean, athletic body pressing her against the wall. She was completely taken by surprise, her eyes wide open and her hands left hanging in the air. The shock receded a few seconds later and she hugged him back and closed her eyes, enjoying the moment:

"Oh, for fuck's sakes Shepard, you British cunt, go somewhere more secluded." A male voice half joked:

"It was secluded until you came here Park, you dick smoking gook. Now make yerself scarce, I'm busy." Shepard bit back as he turned to see lieutenant Tao Park, a short man of Korean origin who held the same rank as him. A capable field medic with an attitude, he and Shepard went along rather well, except when he was mocking football:

"Hey babe, when you get sick of that prick, call me, what do you say?" Park asked with a grin. Both Shepard and Niralya rolled their eyes, looked him straight to the eyes and shouted:

"FUCK OFF DUMBASS!" Tao obliged and left, cackling like a madman, leaving them alone once again:

"Shall we continue what we started then love?" Shepard asked with a cocky grin. Niralya didn't answer, just grabbed him and continued kissing. The hunter's thoughts were something along these lines:

'First she is willing, then she criticises me for my behaviour, I give her my sob story and she is willing again. No matter the species, some things never change... Not that I can argue with the results.'

**Hand to hand combat practice...**

Tali was practicing on a large boxing bag while Sergar was holding it from moving and dangling. The same was happening all across the gym camp. Not managing to supress her curiosity, the quarian asked the seasoned fighter:

"Remind me again, why are we wearing these for the sparring session?" Tali asked and showed her purple spandex top, pants and her golden face mask:

"To conceal our identities of course." Sergar, who was wearing black wrestling pants, fingerless gloves along with a black and red facemask, answered matter-of-factly:

"And the rest of the body isn't included?"

She asked again. True, only her face, chest and legs were covered in the form fitting clothes, leaving a good amount of her glistening, purplish gray skin, exposed for all to see. The tight fit she didn't mind, but there were the times before Tali got the immuno therapy when a simple suit puncture could lead to severe illness or death, just like her mother who died from a faulty filter. Also, her light amount of clothing attracted too many stares and wolf whistles from passing males:

"Come on now comrade Zorah, the viewers enjoy watching the pulsing of the veins, the sweat covered skin and the movement of the muscles..." Sergar was interrupted by Tali:

"Wait, viewers? What viewers?" She asked,

shocked. Sergar's eyes went wide as he closed his mouth with both hands. Tali kept staring at him while with her fists on her waist and tapping her foot, waiting for an answer:

"Okay, but you didn't hear it from me. Lately, no one dares to play poker against the drill instructor so he has no additional income. That's howhe got the idea of making a little side business. Many around the galaxy who like combat sports and gambling." Sergar finally relented. Tali stared for a bit, not able to wrap her head around it. Sure, Shepard was a gambler, and a really good one, but an extranet gambling racket? That had to be illegal in an army base, shouldn't it? She tried to get more answers:

"Who else knows about that?" Tali asked:

"Not many. I learnt it a few days ago because he asked me for advice, some medic named Tao Park and now you. There are a couple of other people who know, but I don't have names or faces." He answered:

"But what exactly is he buying and he needs the extra funds?" Sergar lifted his shoulders:

"I have no idea. Some say he is busy with some sort of secret project, others say he spent a lot of money for that asari extreme sports commentator. There are even some who say that he is a gang leader, which I find very unlikely." The heavy set batarian answered truthfully. The second comment made Tali's eye to twitch behind her mask:

"What asari?" She asked in a cold tone:

"The commentator from the demo rally, the one who who is nicknamed the blue saint and uses a flight suit. Rumours say that she and Shepard are a couple, but I believe it's a crock of shit." Sergar answered, ignorant to the wave of emotions it caused to Tali:

"Okay, let's keep training." She replied. Sergar nodded and took his position behind the bag. Tali would never admit it, but for some reason she was fascinated by that human. As she was punching and kicking the bag, her thoughts went like this:

'That infuriating, arrogant, sarcastic asshole. Why does he have to be so handsome... NONONO, he is a complete and utter bosh'tet who humiliated me in my first day and hangs out with some asari... But he has a strong, athletic body and... AARRGH! Keelah, why do I have these thoughts... he is a good engineer too and he hugs so well and... GAAAAAH!...'

She was hitting harder and faster until Sergar replaced her:

"You hit very well comrade Zorah. If you keep it up in our fights, our victory will be inevitable." Her partner answered while smiling enthusiastically. 2 hours later, and after Tali and Sergar won 5 tag team matches, 3 of them via knockout, they changed back to their uniforms and received a hearty applause from their fellows and many human soldiers who watched the fights. The spirits were high and everyone looked like they had a good time, even those who lost their bets. After a medical checkup to check for possible injuries, everyone was cleared to enjoy a night out, except the big winners, who were called to the drill instructor's office:

"I'm in the loo right now, feel free to explore until I'm done." A voice was heard from inside the toilet room.

It was a bit awkward, but they obliged. The room was medium sized, painted in the same grey colour as the barracks. There were few pieces of furniture, just a double bed, an archive cabinet, a small wardrobe, a desk with a swivel chair and a large window overseeing the training grounds. What really caught Tali's attention was the collection of model spacecraft placed on the shelves above the desk. There were at least 40 models of all types and species. Meanwhile, Sergar was absorbed from the collection of guns that decorated the wall. Handguns, submachine guns, assault rifles, shotguns, sniper rifles, a couple of missile launchers, even a few exotic weapons of unknown type. The sound of a toilet being flushed broke them from their immersion to Shepard's collections:

"Congratulations people, you did a damn fine job. Sergar, you kicked arse same as usual. And you Tali, maybe I misjudged you. For your victory, you both get 300 funds to spend them as you wish, just don't tell the others, the last thing I need is people flocking around and asking me for money." Shepard said after exiting the bathroom. He then went to his desk, opened a drawer and pulled out a couple of chits, each containing said amount. Sergar happily accepted his and left, Tali however looked apprehensive:

"By the look on your face, I reckon you have some questions lass. Come on, ask away." Shepard, now sitting with his legs crossed on the desk and his hands behind his head, asked. Tali knew by now that Shepard acted in 3 different modes, depending on the situation. Serious commanding officer, sarcastic asshole and human being. This time, he balanced between the 2 latter cases:

"Isn't gambling illegal in the army drill instructor?" Tali nervously asked. Shepard took a more serious look and brought his right hand to his wrist tablet. A few commands later and Tali's omni tool flared up:

"I see you already put your omni tool in a silent function, so you are not a snitch, just a concerned soldier, I respect that. And to answer your question, yes, it's illegal. However, I made sure no one will get caught and all evidence is untraceable." Shepard answered. Tali was confused however:

"But why? Why risk your career like that? Why risk your own life for a few more funds?" She pleaded. Shepard averted his gaze and exhaled before answering:

"Answer me this first, how important is family to you?" Tali blinked a few times before answering:

"My mother passed a few months before I enlisted. She died from an infection mere days before the immune system repair serum became available. My father is Rael'Zorah, now senator of the quarian democracy..." Shepard raised a hand to interrupt the quarian:

"Let me clarify my question, if your mother wasn't dead but, let's say, stranded on a faraway and hostile planet, how far would you go to find and save her if you were the only one who could?" Tali could have sworn that the temperature in the room fell by several degrees as her commanding officer was waiting for an answer. His gaze was piercing, unflinching and his expression cold as ice, betraying no emotion. It took a few seconds to steel herself and give her answer:

"I would try my best to save her..." She then clenched her fists and added:

"... no matter the cost." She almost croaked her last sentence. Shepard's gaze didn't soften, but there was a visible satisfaction evident on his slightly smiling lips. He then started telling the story of his real father, what he found on that camera, some information he managed to dig up for a hefty amount of cash and getting Tali's promise to keep quiet about this:

"... now you understand why I am risking my neck. I want to find my father, dead or alive, and the fucker who captured him. I want to learn what was so important that needed him, me and who knows how many others to disappear. The records about cerberus cell are currently sealed, but with enough connections, capital and a bit of luck, I may find out the truth." Shepard finished talking. Tali was completely focused the whole time, still trying to wrap her mind around the whole story:

"I... I had no idea Shepard... sorry, I mean drill instructor. This sounds like something straight out of a vid." Tali blurted out. Shepard barked a humourless laugh:

"No shit lassie. Also, there are only 5 weeks of training left. You can call me by rank and name when it's over." He answered with a sad smile:

"So, I can call you lieutenant commander Douglas Shepard?" Tali joked, earning a more genuine laugh from the hunter:

"Commander Shepard is fine, no need for such formalities. Anyway, I'm a little busy now, so take the money and go have some fun, that is an order." He shooed her out. Tali saluted and left. Shepard found it difficult to keep a straight face, as he could read the quarian's thoughts, which were in the lines of handsome bosh' tet, soothing voice, beautiful eyes, athletic body and many thoughts about cuddles, kissing and various stances:

"She needs to find a mate and fast. Let's wait and see how she will look like when older. She will be a mighty fine bombshell in a couple of years." Shepard monologued. True, his mind was full of perverted thoughts, but he had strong control over it, courtesy of his hunter training and mental fortitude. Niralya, while they were good friends, both agreed for it to be just a fling, nothing romantic. Tali was different, she wanted a true relationship:

"Here's hoping for her to find it." Shepard monologued as he emptied his beer can while reviewing evidence regarding cerberus and seemingly related disappearances.

**Back to the present... **

Shepard was briefing his trainees about their 'final exam', the batarians were now wearing black and red uniforms with berets while the quarians were dressed in urban camouflage versions of their environmental-suits, camo netting instead of hoods and retractable polymer visors. The CISP declassified the necessary information. The slavers had a base in Torfan, a barren world with a thin atmosphere. Their location was discovered by a random psychic sweep only 1 month ago because the planet's crust possessed a high concentration of lead and heavy minerals, rendering all other types of scanning impossible. The base was certainly underground and the only entrance was detectable from ground side. Also, a nondescript warehouse in Khar'Shan was stockpiling enormous amounts of military hardware, rations and mining equipment, which somehow vanished from inside just to be replaced within a week, forcing the hand of the coalition as this could easily be classified as conduct of military operations within coalition space. Energy scans showed space time fluctuations, not unlike those of an activated mass relay, which meant that the hegemony somehow managed to fit, or create, a miniature mass relay inside the planet. There was no sign of the captives anywhere within hegemony space, which could only mean 2 things. Either they were used for manual labor in the secret base, or they were diseased:

"This is it soldiers, the moment we have been waiting for. As of now, 5 cruisers, 10 frigates, a whole regiment of thanatonauts and our very own artillery brigade are gearing for the invasion. We will be the ones to enter their base once our boys crack it open." A pause:

"THEY TOOK OUR MERCY AS A SIGN OF WEAKNESS, OF COMPLACENCY! But the gloves are off now. Enough pussy footing

and prancing around. WE. ARE. GOING. ON THE OFFENSIVE!" Shepard riled up the crowd, who cheered, whooped and gave war cries. He raised his hand to quiet them down:

"As of today, each and every one of you has earned the rank of specialist. My four eyed friends, your are the first of the elite crimson guard unit..." He then looked to the quarian side:

"...and you can call yourselves the hellraiser combat saboteurs." Shepard finished and saluted. After his salute was returned, he continued, more humorously:

"Also, you can call me by name and rank now. I had enough 'drill instructor' with you little pricks. Now go and prepare, we're moving in an hour." A wave of chuckles followed as they all left the room. Spirits were high and the morale was soaring. Even during the flight to Torfan, the untested specialists made jokes and boasting how good they were. The commander however wasn't laughing. He saw many people, friends and foes alike, die, a lot of destruction and suffering, he knew war.

**3 hours later**, **Torfan air space... **

"GET READY, COMING IN HOT!" The shuttle pilot warned as Shepard and his squad were landing, 3 more shuttles following close by. The thanatonauts and the crimson guard, now in juggernaut armour, were deployed through chrono transport earlier and were currently using their heavy weaponry against the enemy, wreaking havoc amongst them. The hegemony forces must have had some sort of early warning system because, the exact moment the coalition forces reached the lower atmosphere, a hail of rockets and machine gun fire forced the vehicle transports to land 2 clicks further. The turret defences and enemy vehicles took good advantage of the rough, hardened and mountainous terrain, rendering orbital fire support ineffective. The heavy infantry had to hold on their own, laying suppressing fire against numerous and well entrenched opponents. Which is why Shepard took the platoon of quarian combat saboteurs to neutralise the stationary guns. 2 squads, led by Kal'Reegar and Zimma'Fanis respectively,

were on sniping and long range support duty. Shepard and Tali took the remaining troops for a direct assault:

"Explosives primed and ready commander." A saboteur from Shepard's squad reported:

"How are things in your end Zorah?" Shepard asked through the comm:

"Drones and turrets ready to deploy, just say the word." Tali answered. A few seconds later, the order came, and all 4 squads opened fire. Sniper fire dropped at least 15 batarians, causing a lot of their entrenched soldiers to turn around. An enemy officer took a squad and advanced against Reegar's position, only to be neutralised by Fanis' squad. Soon, more hostiles approached, pining both squads with heavy weapons:

"THEY TOOK THE BAIT COMMANDER, WE MUST DETONATE THE EXPLOSIVES NOW!" Tali shouted. An omnitool command later, and the enemies were blown up to smithereens:

"THE GUNS ARE VULNERABLE NOW, ADVANCE!" Shepard ordered. The platoon obliged and 2 minutes of intense fighting later, the last heavy turret fell silent and the trenches were cleared:

"That was a damn fine job we did now lads and lassies. All we have to do is wait for the cavalry to get their heads of their asses and blow up this door." Shepard roused them up. Cheers and laughs sounded among the troops. No casualties sustained, but there have been several injured thanatonauts and crimson guard troops. While the injured were treated, Shepard was staring at the bunker door. It truly was massive, big enough to easily fit a frigate, who knew what lied behind it:

"Gotta hand it to the hegemony. Building something like this while avoiding detection in our own backyard takes a lot of guts and brains." The lieutenant commander monologued:

"I'm more worried about what else they have in store inside. Our reinforcements best arrive soon. If we have to face tanks or gunships with our current forces, we are in deep trouble." Akhemisa voiced her concern:

"Commander, I took the liberty to plant anti tank and anti air mines near the entrance. If they come out first, they're toast." Tali said, earning a nod from Shepard:

"Very good work Zorah. Keep me posted for any updates." Tali saluted and returned to her post. A minute later, the tanks and artillery vehicles have arrived. A good amount of insults and sarcastic jokes about tardiness later, multiple cannons and rocket launchers took aim for the bunker entrance, ready to turn it into scrap. And they would have, if Shepard didn't get a call in his wrist tablet:

"Am I speaking to the one in charge?" A deep, guttural voice asked:

"I am lieutenant commander Shepard and lead the infantry elements. Do you wish to surrender, or is it a social call?" Shepard answered. A laugh echoed from his tablet:

"My name is Ka'Hairal Balak, captain of the hegemony's armed forces and I have a proposal." The batarian captain said:

"If you want to surrender, just open the bunker entrance and spare us the ammo. The lads really want to blow something up and they can barely keep their enthusiasm down." Shepard humoured:

"That's the problem human. There are too many of our... servants, currently working in the entrance area. Opening fire could lead to many... unnecessary casualties." Balak shot back. This revelation made Shepard's blood freeze. He used his psychic powers and found a large concentration of brain activity behind the bunker entrance. These thoughts belonged to civilians, the exact same ones

who were kidnapped almost 7 months ago. Shepard was shaking in anger, his fists clenching hard and his eyes were shining again. How much he wanted to just unleash his powers, rip the whole door off the hinges and make these four eyed bastards swallow their guns and pull the triggers:

"Hey commander, are we going to blow that piece of tin open or not?" An enthusiastic voice asked from inside the lead tank. That snapped Douglas out of his furious thoughts, allowing logic to take over:

"ALL VEHICLES HOLD FIRE, I REPEAT, HOLD YOUR FIRE. THEY HAVE CIVILIANS BEHIND THAT DOOR!" Shepard shouted on all channels. A series of grumbling acknowledgements followed. The offensive was stopped dead to it's tracks because of that bastard:

"I see you are smart commander, now, could you please patch me to your commanding officer?" Balak asked smugly. Shepard was beyond angry at this point, but had no choice, so he complied.

"Commander, maybe we can find another entrance, maybe an air duct or a..." Tali recommended but was interrupted:

"And you believe they won't expect us? There's no way we can enter through normal means and the ships can't risk to chrono transport any of us inside the bunker." Shepard shot back her suggestion. They both tried to find a solution for this problem. Without proper coordinates and calibrations, a chrono transport could cause severe side effects to the users, switched minds, brain damage, fusing with other entities, rapid aging or complete erasure from the time flow. Half a minute later, Douglas captured

something in Tali's mind. A tactic she used in the game she played in order to freeze her opponents and then swarm them without risk:

"A CHRONO FISSURE!" They both exclaimed at the same time:

"We can render the hostages immobile and invincible..." Tali continued:

"... and we will be able to crack that fucker open without any issue. TALI, YOU BUCKET HEADED GENIUS YOU!" Shepard shouted and hugged the quarian tight, making several heads turned, expressions covered by masks and helmets:

"Commander, not to disturb this loving and heartwarming moment, but your comm is ringing." Akhemisa, who was close by, informed as she showed Shepard's left arm. The pair sheepishly broke the hug, doing a pretty good work ignoring the amused and giggling soldiers and tankers:

"Commander Shepard, is it true that the enemy uses the captured victims as shields?" This voice belonged to the commanding officer of the mission, major Joseph Kyle. A decorated officer, he was nicknamed 'The pacifist', as he once captured a batarian slaver ring and persuaded them to turncoat without resorting to violence, gaining a bloodless victory:

"Affirmative major, we are going to need a chrono fissure in the entrance area, then we can proceed as planned." Shepard recommended:

"Granted, just give us the coordinates. I will keep Balak talking, and remember Shepard the rules of engagement. Those who surrender are to be treated fairly as prisoners of war." Kyle's answer made Shepard's eye twitch:

"WHAT? But they are slavers, they..." Shepard started:

"I know and I don't care. Lynching got us so far, now we take the high ground so, unless they resist, we are to treat them as humanely as possible, is that understood commander?" Kyle ordered, his voice steady and clear:

"Understood and confirmed major." Shepard grumbled an acknowledgement. In the meantime, Tali managed to find a natural crack in the mountain and slipped a drone inside the bunker. The footage showed dozens of

"Commander, we got drone footage inside the facility, want to check it out?" Tali asked nervously:

"Sent it over Zorah." Shepard calmly ordered. What he saw was disturbing. Hundreds of captives, all pressed together against the bunker door, ragged and malnourished. Away from the door stood many armed batarians and multiple battle tanks, all aiming towards the captives:

"Major, I am sending the coordinates now, we will engage at your signal." Shepard informed:

"Very well commander, initiating chronosphere in 30 seconds. Stand clear and ready to advance. Major Kyle out. Good luck." He gave the order:

**Meanwhile, behind the bunker door...**

2 batarians in a tank were waiting behind their compatriots, cannon aimed towards the bunker door. Hundreds of captured slaves were in the front, acting as shields:

"Hey, do you think the humans will open fire regardless of us having the slaves lined forward?" The gunner asked:

"I don't know. But rumours say that their leader is commander Shepard. He hates our kind so much that he would gladly roll over civilians to satisfy his bloodlust." The driver answered:

"Shepard, I thought he died in Akuze. I heard that many were killed by thresher maws out there.":

"I wish he died too, would be better for us. But not only he survived, he killed a thresher maw alone and on foot too. I also heard from my brother who escaped Elysium, he saw Shepard with his own eyes. He said that human is taller than an elcor, angrier than a krogan in blood rage and he enjoys mutilating those who survive his attacks before he kills them.:

"Come on now, you really believe this stuff? Probably just coalition propaganda to look like mighty warriors. That and the psychics too. Lies and fairy tales, nothing else..." The gunner's speech was cut short by a bright blue light that enveloped the whole area. When it receded, all the slaves were covered in the same blue energy, much like a stasis field. Before anyone could get their bearings, colourful laser rays started piercing through the door, cutting it in pieces:

"WHAT IS HAPPENING?" These were the last words of the gunner before a rocket came flying right to the tank...

**A few minutes later...**

After the barrage ended, Shepard ordered to secure the bunker entrance and escort the hostages outside. The sight was beyond pitiful. Men, women, even children, all extremely thin, beaten and despite the fact that the captured quarians still had masks on, it was impossible to not see the haunted faces behind them. Shepard almost flinched when he heard their memories. Beatings, electro shocks, starvation and worse:

"We rescued more than 700 hostages commander. The rest must be deeper inside. Do you want us to advance?" Tali asked. Douglas shook his head:

"Not yet. Make sure there are no stragglers around first." Shepard ordered. Tali nodded and went to complete the assignment. Akhemisa came towards him:

"This will not go unpunished." She cryptically said. Shepard gave a stiff nod:

"Don't worry, like the major said, if the enemy resists, they are to be eliminated. Something tells me they will." Shepard answered and winked. Akhemisa gave a nod and went back to her unit:

"No survivors found commander, I found this however." Tali reported back and showed Shepard a paper parchment:

"Would you look at that. The hegemony is becoming smarter. Using paper to avoid hacking attempts or detection." After Shepard read the paper however, his smirk disappeared. The document contained instructions about invading Abode and kidnapping the soviet premier, who would be in a social visit, in 5 days:

"ALRIGHT EVERYONE, WE PRESS ON THE ATTACK! SABOTEURS, ENGAGE CLOAKS, WE ARE GOING DARK! THANATONAUTS, KEEP THE AREA SECURE!" Shepard took command of the situation, as the thick walls and roof didn't allow any signal inside or out. Everyone confirmed the new orders and moved out in a flurry of activity. Shepard and his platoon cleared the 2 secondary depots, uncovering many space worthy fighters, jury rigged to drop vehicles or personnel, equipped with some sort of heat absorbing and light refractive material to reduce emissions and visibility. Only the main depot was left, which was further underground. Drone scans showed about 50 remaining hostiles, a power generator, a lot of rectangular containers, likely for the captives, and a device that resembled a miniature mass relay:

"What's the plan of action commander?"

Kal'Reegar asked enthusiastically:

"Simple, we shut down the power, turn on the strobe lights and eliminate them all."

Shepard answered coldly. Some of the platoon members shifted uncomfortably, but remembering the condition of the captives was more than enough to make them focus and grip their weapons with determination:

"The generator is rigged to shut down people. Zorah, what's the progress in the doors?" Shepard asked for an update:

"Uploading the last code aaaaand... done. Ready to open when needed." Tali answered:

"Good. Everyone, put silencers, ready the strobe lights and engage active camo. Breaching in 20 seconds." Shepard ordered. In 10 seconds flat, every saboteur literally disappeared from sight, silent ghosts waiting to pounce.

5 seconds...

Flashbang grenades ready.

4 seconds...

Shepard's hand on his omni pad, ready to disable the locks.

3 seconds...

The operatives closest to the doors tense up for the breaching maneuver, pressing their backs against the wall.

2 seconds...

Shepard presses the button.

1 second...

The doors slowly start opening.

0 seconds...

"NOW!"

The flash grenades were thrown inside the room, blinding everyone inside. Then the platoon breached the depot, shooting every armed hostile before they could recover. Only 10 survivors remained, who smartly threw their weapons and raised their hands up:

"WE SURRENDER, WE SURRENDER!" One of them screamed terrified into thin air. His words worked like magic, because just a few moments later, 31 figures materialised right before their eyes. All of them were quarians, except the leading figure. He was a human, taller than average, his eyes full of hate as he stared at an open container. It was filled with corpses, completely naked, barely more than skeletons covered with skin. While some of the quarians flinched because of the horrific sight, with a couple of the opening their helmets to vomit, the human just called someone from his comm. Soon, 30 heavily armoured batarians arrived, their expressions unreadable behind the visors. One of the surviving hegemony troopers saw the human make a quick gesture on his throat...

It was the last thing he ever saw.

**AN**I was a bit too late, but I made this chapter longer. I hope it was worth your patience. This prologue ended with a lot of explosions, bullets, bodies and a good amount of cruelty. I believe I built a strong background for my Shepard, along with an impressive list of titles:

Gunslinger Doug, crazy brit, lion of Elysium, survivor of Akuze and butcher of Torfan. Respected by his allies and friends, merciless to his enemies and best not to piss off. After this chapter, I will work faster thanks to the canon and, maybe, have some time for another crossover fanfic, which is currently on the works.

Hint: GUTS AND GLORY LADS!


	29. Geth on Eden Prime

The Torfan offensive, despite the questionable acts that took place there, was considered an overall success. Except the nearly 150 captives, who perished weeks before the operation while being worked to death at expanding the underground base, few casualties were inflicted to the coalition forces and none to the new special forces trained by commander Shepard, earning him more notoriety which reached even to the farthest corners of the terminus systems. Still, the discovery of the hegemony's plans to kidnap the soviet premier, the escape of captain Balak and the subsequent pressures, from both the hegemony and the council races, forced the citadel council to call both sides in a meeting to prevent further escalation and avoid being caught in a full blown war:

**COUNCIL CHAMBERS, 1st November 2179**

"... YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND AT ALL! THE HUMANS WHAT TO ERADICATE US COMPLETELY! HOW CAN YOU BE SO SURE YOU ARE NOT NEXT TO THEIR LIST?" The batarian ambassador angrily asked the councillors:

"Ambassador Amon, your concern while appreciated, is not the topic of today. Unless the coalition gives us a legitimate reason to warrant action, we can't just start deporting humans out of council space or the citadel." Councillor Tevos answered. Ambassador Grot'Amon of the batarian hegemony didn't lose any time trying to persuade the council how much his people were suffering while humanity steamrolled over the galaxy like they owned it. The old, hover chair confined batarian had a reputation as a problem solver, mostly the permanent kind, despite his condition. No witnesses, no leads, no evidence, only disappearances. Today, the situation was different. Just like the old days, when the hegemony was a council race, the ambassador came 5 minutes earlier, presenting his case and, either through persuasion or intimidation, tried to convince the councillors to accept his advice before the opposition could state their own agenda:

"Haven't you seen what they did in Torfan? They butchered hegemony citizens, didn't even give them a chance to surrender." Amon complained again. The councillors, while tired of his bickering, were still listening to him because they didn't really have any idea what was happening in coalition space, courtesy of the CISP counter intelligence, the so far impenetrable AI assisted firewalls, the psychic commandos and the psychic radar, all of which rendered the council unable to access any classified intel. Even the shadow broker, the galaxy's most reliable intelligence gatherer, couldn't find anything beyond declassified or non classified information, no matter how many humans he bribed, deceived or coerced. How could a species be so open yet so secretive at the same time:

"What were you doing in coalition space at the first place? We are aware that the hegemony is not exactly welcome there because of allegations about funding pirates and slavers. Also, how did you manage to get in and stay hidden for so long?" Valern asked. Of course, Grot'Amon knew the real purpose of the question, to collect information, but some details could earn him more goodwill:

"The mission specifics are classified to me. All I know is that the hegemony needed some leverage to stop human aggression. A secret, unguarded mass relay was used for access in coalition space and then our operatives hid in Torfan, a barren world with lead crust, to avoid detection." He answered as truthfully as possible. Before the conversation could drag any longer, a slow clapping coming from the lower staircase attracted their attention. It was director MacLeod, now dressed in a blue and golden officer uniform, flanked by 2 other people. One was a man in a cream white suit, gray haired with a receding hairline and wrinkled face, the other was dressed in a black suit and tie combo, with white undershirt and black sunglasses, and was holding a black briefcase to his left hand:

"Yes, bravo, encore, amazing performance, you should try for acting." MacLeod boringly said. This remark frustrated the batarian ambassador, but he kept his anger in check and turned fully to the 3 humans. The councillors looked confused however:

"Director MacLeod, won't your colleagues appear to the meeting?" Tevos asked:

"What do you wear military clothing for?"

Sparatus asked right after his counterpart:

"The other directors are tired of listening to your yammering and so am I. But this is too important to skip. About the uniform, we are in DEFCON 3, yellow alert. All thanks to the government that shitstain represents." MacLeod answered and pointed at the batarian ambassador, who was fuming by now:

"Care to elaborate director?" Valern quickly asked:

"Udina, take over for me. I need to see to... you know what." MacLeod said cryptically to the white suited man and the went to the black suited one:

"Civil representative Donell Udina, pleased to make your acquaintance. The batarian hegemony conducted illegal military operations in coalition space with the intention of kidnapping one of our leaders. Normally, that would guarantee armed retaliation, but the board believes it is better to try diplomacy first." The human diplomat greeted and began making his case:

"Do you have any evidence to support your claim?" Tevos asked. Udina obliged by deploying a holo drone and showing various footage. Starting from the bunker entrance, moving to the stockpiles of vehicles and spacecraft, then to the freed slaves:

"...and I saved the best for last, behold..."

The last image was that of the dead slaves in the cages. The councillors were already disturbed from the previous images, but this made them gasp:

"The coroners say that these people were literally worked to death in order to expand the underground base. Some where thrown in there before even dying. But you must be proud ambassador, your troops preferred death over surrender." Udina finished. The councillors were disgusted from the last image, Tevos especially turned a couple of shades greener. Grot'Amon knew that things took a really bad turn, so he played his trump card faster than the human could make demands:

"What guarantee can they give that these pictures are more than convincing fakes? How sure are you that this is nothing but an elaborate conspiracy, because I am certain they used their AI's in order to make these frauds and justify an attack to the hegemony or demand ridiculous reparations..."

While the handicapped batarian was ranting, with moderate success, to the councillors, MacLeod finished using the briefcase and ordered the agent to close it. Then he moved towards Udina and whispered something in his ear, causing him to retreat:

"Well, I see diplomacy isn't going to cut it, so let's employ a different method then." MacLeod monologued and marched towards the councillors. Gone was the humorous and near childish demeanour that many knew and got used to. The guy in front of 3 of the most powerful individuals in the galaxy was standing straight, chin up and had a strange glint in his eyes. Combining that with a sinister smirk could only mean one thing. Someone was in very serious trouble:

"Okay fellas, enough of this charade, time to end this miserable excuse of a negotiation, preferably quickly and effectively." MacLeod announced with a loud voice, making the room go silent:

"Is anything the matter director?" Tevos took, as many times before, the diplomatic approach knowing full well how trigger happy that human was:

"I have an offer for the batarian hegemony. It's an offer they cannot refuse." The answer came:

"And what kind of offer is that?" Grot'Amon sarcastically asked. MacLeod just smiled wider:

"Simple. You will rejoin the citadel as a client race, sign the treaty of Farixen, open yourselves to extranet access and trade agreements, that's all." He answered. The batarian just stared at him for some seconds, then bursted out laughing:

"Is this the best deal you can propose, what makes you think I will accept it?" Ambassador Amon asked, still chucking:

"How about the 150 fuel-air missiles currently aimed at targets all around Khar'Shan? Is it a good enough incentive?" MacLeod gave a toothy grin. The 4 aliens in the room froze in place. Their mouths, in Sparatus' case mandibles, were wide open and they looked ready to either scream in outrage or pass out:

"Y... you are not serious, are you director?"

Tevos whimpered, still holding the podium with both hands to avoid falling:

"Do I look like I am in the mood for jokes? We showed too much leniency to these pricks. It ends tonight, one way or another..." MacLeod said and turn to the scowling batarian:

"... the strike will commence in 8 minutes unless I give the order to abort." MacLeod said and folded his hands, waiting for an answer:

"THAT IS COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE DIRECTOR! WE WILL NOT LET YOU..." Sparatus threatened, only to be silenced by Valern, who was shaking his head:

"COWARDS, EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU!" Grot'Amon snapped and pulled out a pistol, taking aim to the still smirking human:

"Ah ah ah, if you pull that trigger, we will go red alert. The moment my heart stops, the crews will swap to nuclear ordnance and Khar'Shan will turn into ashes and glass. Actually go ahead, take the shot. If you have the stones." MacLeod goaded and spread his arms wide while getting closer. The batarian ambassador gripped the gun tighter, his finger brushing the trigger, wanting to end that insufferable and arrogant man. The standoff lasted for a whole minute, but eventually Grot'Amon let the gun drop:

"I have to consult my superiors about this development. I don't have the authority to

sign this treaty on my own. I will need to talk with the grand chancellor, the ministers, but it's going to take too much time and..." The batarian was silenced by MacLeod, who deployed a holo drone for him:

"You have 6 and a half minutes to convince them, so better talk fast." No way he would give the hegemony leaders the chance to evacuate or strike back. Before Amon could argue, a communication window opened and all aforementioned high ranking officials, in their rich robes and quality garments, showed up as holograms:

"Talk about over compensation. Even worse than these college frat boys, they even make the councillors look better, am I right Udina?" Donnel just nodded wholly uninterested to MacLeod, focused only to what unfolded in front of him. First, the big heads where chewing the ambassador up for calling them with bad news, then the explanation made them even angrier. With only 2 minute remaining, Grot'Amon was almost begging his superiors to listen, but they were too stubborn. Then, he looked expectantly to the director with what could be described as puppy eyes:

"Agent, execute warning shot." MacLeod ordered the black clothed man. All alien participants were once again in a state of disbelief and shock:

"Ladies and gentlemen, prepare to witness the effectiveness of a fuel air missile. Live from Khar'Shan, the parliament gardens..."

The holographic display swapped to a view of said gardens. Filled with statues of important figures, strange trees and flowers, armed guards and their varren, that place was lit up by a towering flame which consumed everything and left only gray ashes after it subsided:

"... are no more. Unless you want to see a few dozen more of these detonating, I recommend haste." The director finished. The hologram swapped back to the, now, terrified and wild eyed batarian officials. Hastily, they sent authorisation codes to Grot'Amon, who with equal haste signed the treaty of Farixen:

"Okay, it is done, happy now?" The ambassador asked and dropped the pen. MacLeod didn't talk, only went to the briefcase holding agent to cancel the attack, and did so with 13 seconds to spare:

"Very. Udina, congratulations, you are ambassador of the coalition now. You take care of the specifics, I am out of here." The military man turned tail along with the agent. Before he reached the lower steps however:

"YOU WIN TODAY HUMAN, BUT MARK MY WORDS! WE WILL NOT SUFFER UNDER YOUR BOOT HEELS FOR LONG! ONE DAY, THE ENTIRE GALAXY WILL RISE AGAINST YOU... AND YOU WILL BE ON YOUR KNEESugggh..." A 5 fingered hand gripped Grot'Amon's throat tight:

"No, you remember MY words you ass faced, bleary eyed, slave owning jackass. After pissing off 3 governments, count yourself lucky we only got a warning shot out. If it wasn't for me, you would be in a world of shit right now. NOW SHUT YOUR FUCKING MOUTH BEFORE I CHANGE MY MIND. AS FOR YOU 3 STOOGES, KEEP THESE ASSMAGGOTS IN THEIR BEST BEHAVIOUR, OR THEIR PIECES WILL BE SCATTERED ALL AROUND THE GALAXY AFTER I'M DONE!" The councillors could actually see MacLeod's veins pulsing under his skin and even his eyes looked redder, like a rapid animal:

"There is no reason to insult or threaten anyone director. Effective immediately, the batarian hegemony is part of the citadel races once again, further agitation is not needed, let me take care of the rest." Udina calmed down the furious man, who snorted before storming out of the council chambers:

"And here I thought that the krogan are bad." Sparatus quipped. Udina nodded:

"You telling me? I had to deal with him for the last 3 years. This temper tantrum pales in comparison to what happened a few months ago." Came the answer:

"As much as we would love to hear the story, there is much to discuss about the recent developments." Valern interjected:

"Very true, so let's proceed." Tevos agreed.

**Arcturus station, a few years later...**

"... well, what about Shepard? Raised in London, adopted, his father disappeared decades ago, unknown mother and birthplace." Udina recommended:

"Made his first kill in age 13 alone and unarmed. Found out he descents from a long line of soldiers. Went through the cancer removal training and survived, very few have done so."

Captain Anderson added with a small hint of pride:

"Has an impressive service record too. Rallied our forces to repel the Elysium invasion, lone survivor of Akuze, managed to kill a thresher maw on foot, trained 2 platoons of alien special forces, successfully led said special forces in Torfan, he is above ideal."

Admiral Hackett summarised:

"I have a few concerns about his mental health however. He accumulated a significant amount of trauma in his missions, what if he snaps in the wrong place and time?" Udina asked:

"Every soldier has scars. Shepard is a survivor. I am not sure what exactly motivates him, but he gets the job done and keeps his head in the game." Anderson said his piece:

"So, this is the kind of person we want protecting the galaxy?" Hackett asked:

"I believe he is the only one who can protect the galaxy." Anderson concluded:

"Alright, I'll make the call, is his current assignment important?" Udina gave his answer, despite not being completely assured:

"He's just doing some grilling, nothing too serious." Hackett answered, a small smile on his lips.

**Meanwhile, somewhere else... **

"I... I'm sorry drill instructor... it just happened so fast and..." someone whimpered:

"SHUT IT RETARD! I DON'T WANT TO HEAR ANY MORE EXCUSES FROM YOUR CAVE! Now drop down and give me 50." Shepard ordered the poor bastard on the ground. Someone tapped him on the shoulder from behind:

"WHAT?" He shouted as he turned around:

"The colonel wants you to his office. New assignment, very hush hush." The messenger answered. These words worked like a magic spell on the commander:

"Keep the crows in line, I'll be back soon." Shepard hurriedly said and bolted full speed to Strasskov's office.

**6th July 2183, TCS Normandy...**

"Arcturus prime relay in range, initiating transmission sequence." Came a voice from the intercom. It was the pilot of the Normandy, an experimental frigate, co developed by human, quarian and turian engineers and scientists. A prototype stealth spacecraft designed for deep strikes. Unlike the coalition's frigates, it could only hide heat emissions and electronic signatures, so that it was still detectable by eyesight in close range. That was a minor issue however as nearly all vessels used ladar (Light Amplification Detection And Ranging) systems in order to spot targets, not organic observers:

"We are connected. Calculating transit mass and destination." The same voice was heard again. Meanwhile Shepard passed the CIC (Combat Information Center) and navigator Presley, a bald, short bearded man in his early 50s, who was already compiling the data for the next course. The vessel possessed a psychic radar, a top of the line drive core powered by an experimental tesla magnetic reactor, and was, theoretically, the fastest and most maneuverable of its kind. It was also fitted with a heat converter that could power up the dreaded rad force emitter, a weapon capable of destabilising matter to the atomic level, making it fragile like glass. Still not field tested:

"The relay is hot, acquiring approach vector." Shepard could see the cockpit by now, and the pilot, with his own eyes. Jeff 'Joker' Moreau, wise cracking, sarcasm dealing pilot extraordinaire. It was the one behind the pilot who attracted most attention however. Nihlus Kryik, from the office of special tactics and reconnaissance, a turian spectre. Douglas already knew that something big was on the works, but out of respect to captain David Anderson, his mentor and commanding officer, he didn't use his mind reading to find out what was really going on:

"All stations secure for transit. The board is green. Approach run has begun." The mass relay was now in range and Joker started the countdown. A stream of data, in the form of a lightning bolt, hit the center of the relay, launching the Normandy many light years away in the blink of an eye. A sense of slight vertigo blurred Shepard's vision for a bit, but nothing he couldn't handle. The vessel itself was designed to be stable after exit from hyperspace. The only drawback of the ship was that there was no room for a chrono drive, making it dependent to the relay network. Not a great issue, as it was a joint effort between the council and the coalition, but still awkward. Also, there was no AI installed:

"Thrusters check. Navigation check. Internal emissions sink engaged. All systems online. Drift... just under 1500k."

Joker announced after they got out of hyperspace:

"1500 is good. Your captain will be pleased." The turian spectre complimented and left, seemingly ignoring Shepard as he brushed through. When Nihlus was out of earshot, Joker commented to his co pilot:

"I really hate that guy.":

"You hate someone for giving you a compliment Joker?" Kaidan Alenko, the resident biotic specialist and combat engineer, asked:

"Zipping your jumpsuit when coming out of the bathroom is good. Waking up after a peaceful night's sleep is great. But jumping us halfway across the galaxy by hitting a target the size of a pinhead? That's nothing below incredible. Besides, having a spectre on board for a shakedown run? Call me paranoid Alenko, but it just doesn't add up." Joker answered:

"Fair enough, but thankfully we have one of our own to keep an eye on out." The biotic sentinel said:

"Yeah, I heard about lieutenant commander Shepard, but come on now, you really believe all they say about him? Killing thresher maws on foot, dropping gunships single handedly, he is just another poster boy..." While Joker was talking, Kaidan felt a chill on his spine, which made him turn and see none other but the aforementioned hunter, who somehow managed to remain undetected. The biotic would certainly react or at least try to silence the still talking pilot, but Shepard put his index finger on his lips, keeping him quiet:

"...sure, he got some successes, but he is just one man. Am I right lieutenant?" Joker turned to ask Alenko, who was staring to someone behind him. Joker's smirk disappeared faster than a speeding bullet:

"He is right behind me, isn't he?" He asked. Kaidan, who was almost ready to burst out laughing, quickly nodded. Joker turned:

"Oh uh, hey commander, lovely day isn't it?" He sheepishly asked:

"It truly is. It will be even better if you keep your big mouth shut though." Before more words could be spoken, Joker's saving grace came:

"Joker, status report." Captain Anderson called from the ship's intercom:

"We cleared the relay captain. Stealth systems are engaged the ship is running smooth." He answered:

"Good. Connect with the closest comm buoy and tell commander Shepard to meet me in the briefing room." Anderson ordered gruffly:

"Aye aye captain." Joker answered and expectantly looked at Shepard:

"We'll have a little chat later. Better brace yourself. Don't go anywhere." Shepard warned and left. After chatting with navigator Presley, doctor Karin Chakwas and corporal Leroy Jenkins about the whole situation, the hunter entered the briefing room, but only Nihlus was present:

"Ah, commander Shepard, I was hoping to have a word with you." The turian spectre greeted:

"What about? Where is captain Anderson?" Shepard bluntly replied:

"The captain is on his way. Back to more important matters, I am interested in this world we're going to... Eden Prime. I heard it's quite beautiful. Serene, tranquil, peaceful, polar opposite of the human stereotype."To his credit, Nihlus shrugged off Douglas's attempt at agitating him:

"Corporal Jenkins told me so. He was born and raised there, but enough with this bloody dog and bone bullshit. What requires the presence of a council spectre, 2 hunters and a fully crewed experimental stealth frigate in such a peaceful place? And don't tell me it's just a shakedown run or I'll start losing my patience." Shepard demanded:

"I think it's about time we told the commander the truth." Captain Anderson said after entering the room:

"We are making a covert pickup. Something of great value has been discovered in Eden Prime. Something that could greatly benefit the coalition and the citadel." Nihlus partially confessed:

"A research team uncovered an old beacon. They say it's Prothean. Because Eden Prime doesn't have the appropriate facilities, it's our job to transport the beacon to the Citadel for a proper study." Anderson finished:

"As you understand commander, this goes beyond human interests. Such a discovery could affect every species in the entire galaxy." The turian added:

Shepard took some time to think about the information. There was still something missing:

"That explains the secrecy and the manpower, but what about me? 2 hunters for 1 spectre is too much, am I right?" Shepard asked again. Nihlus exhaled and rolled his eyes:

"Your intuition, while annoying, is correct. I am here to evaluate you. You showed remarkable skill, leadership ability and will to survive in your past missions, all of which are useful talents. You are also part of an elite military group with a reputation for excellence. That's why I put your name forward as a candidate for the spectres." He finally admitted:

"The coalition is trying to establish better relations with the council. Our previous attempts have been a bit too forceful, making humanity look too warlike and savage, causing unnecessary fear and distrust. Offering the beacon and inducting a human in the spectres is a solid first step to soothe the tensions." Anderson explained:

"Not a big fan of the council, but alright I'll give it a shot." Shepard accepted:

"Good. Eden Prime will be one of our first missions together. I believe you would make a fine addition to our ranks." Nihlus complimented:

"Your objective is simple commander. You lead a squad on the ground, extract the beacon and escort it into the Normandy." The captain gave the mission description:

"Sweet, straightforward and boring. I hope the next missions are more interesting." Shepard commented with a fake yawn:

"Captain, we have a problem. Emergency transmission from Eden Prime." Joker announced via the intercom:

"Bring it up on screen." Anderson ordered after the initial confusion subsided. The holo screen blinked to life and showed footage from a helmet camera. Human marines heavily engaged with unknown forces. Then came a distressed call for help:

"WE ARE UNDER HEAVY ATTACK! TAKING CASUALTIES! WATCH OUT, RIGHT FLANK! WE HAVE GETH ON EDEN PRIME, I REPEAT... AAAAAAGH! ..." The caller was killed and the camera showed multiple geth platforms engaged in fighting, then the footage was cut:

"Everything cuts out after that. No comm traffic at all. The comm buoy is non functional." Eden Prime, having the status of a newly founded, semi autonomous and peaceful world, didn't possess a chrono hub or QEC access, making it reliant to a comm buoy:

"Reverse and hold at 38.5." Anderson ordered. Now, the screen showed a massive vessel. It was colored black and resembled a squid. Red lightning was surrounding its frame and it blotted the sky. A moment of uneasy quiet passed the watchers:

"Joker, status report." Anderson said:

"We are 10 minutes out. The closest coalition combat vessels are 55 minutes out if they chrono jump. We're on our own." Joker answered and disconnected:

"This mission just got a lot more complicated, but the parameters remain the same. Shepard, your primary objective remains the same. If you can help any survivors along the way do it. Get ready, you are dismissed." Anderson ordered. Douglas gave a wordless salute and headed to the Normandy cargo bay along with Nihlus:

"This is what you humans call 'jinxing it' , right?" The turian quipped:

"Good to meet a turian with a sense of humour." Shepard shot back. In the cargo bay, Jenkins and Alenko were already armed and ready. A short briefing later and some comments of disbelief about geth invading Eden Prime, the vessel came in close proximity to the drop point:

"Remember commander, the beacon is your top priority. Helping survivors is secondary." Anderson reminded the squad. Jenkins saw Nihlus moving towards the exit point:

"Nihlus, were are you going?" The corporal asked:

"I move faster on my own."The turian would certainly jump out of the ship, if a hand didn't grab him:

"That place is crawling with geth, which means we stay together..." Shepard started. Before the turian spectre could protest:

"...unless you need a reminder about the law of spectres in coalition space." Douglas finished. Nihlus, while angry, relented and agreed. 15 seconds later, the squad was boots on the ground and already scanning the area:

"Commander, apart from these gas bags,

there's nothing else in the surrounding area." Jenkins reported. Shepard nodded and gestured to advance. When they reached a hill 1 click away from their objective, they halted again:

"This place is perfect to ambush us. Kaidan, Kryik flank right, Jenkins, were are moving along the rocks. Stay low." Shepard ordered. The squad members complied and, as expected, several geth drones and platforms rushed forward, only to be quickly eliminated in the flanking maneuver:

"WOOO, did you see that? We really kicked some robot ass!" Jenkins enthusiastically hollered:

"Keep quiet corporal, we are not done yet." Nihlus silenced the enthusiastic marine:

"They really are geth, but why did attack here from all places after 200 years?" Kaidan asked to no one in particular:

"I don't know Alenko, but I bet my right arm it has something to do with the beacon. Let's move out." Shepard ordered. After dispatching more drones, they reached a cratered area. A lone figure in white armour was running away from many more geth and took cover behind a rock. Somewhere close, 2 platforms took a human and put him on a strange device that impaled him:

"TAKE THEM OUT!" Shepard ordered his squad. They all fired their weapons, downing all hostiles and saving the lone marine:

"Thanks for the help commander. Wasn't sure I was going to make it." The white clad woman saluted:

"Name and rank soldier." Douglas immediately demanded. He wanted to see if she was shell shocked:

"Gunnery sergeant Ashley Williams of the 212th platoon. Are you in charge here sir?" She saluted:

"Commander Douglas Shepard, hunter division. These are lieutenant Alenko, corporal Jenkins and Nihlus Kryik, turian spectre. Are you part of the garrison forces?" Each squad member nodded to the introduction:

"Yes, we were attacked by the geth when patrolling the perimeter around the unearthed beacon. We were completely overwhelmed and forced to retreat. I think I'm the only one left." Ashley answered:

"Are you fit for combat or you need to evacuate, we could use your help." Kaidan offered:

"I'm fine lieutenant. I can tag along if needed." Ashley looked at Shepard for confirmation:

"You can come. Do you know where the beacon is?" Douglas asked:

"It's in the end of the trench over there, along the prothean ruins." She answered. The now 5 soldiers moved out and eventually reached the site. The beacon wasn't there, so they kept searching. Eventually, they reached a camp, apparently the one were the scientists settled in in order to research the ruins and the beacon:

"It's another one of these... spike things. Why are the geth impale people on these?"

Jenkins asked:

"Terror tactics maybe? But do they even understand the concept?" Alenko asked:

"Stay focused, we can't risk losing the beacon and..." Nihlus was interrupted by a hissing sound:

"Look. The spike retracted." Ashley warned, pointing her assault rifle to the mess of tubes, bones and blue lights that was once a human being. The creature charged at the team, only to be gunned down. Another 2 followed, but Kaidan struck them with a lightning bolt, completely disintegrating both hostiles:

"WHAT IN THE SPIRITS WAS THAT?" Nihlus exclaimed:

"Are you talking about these husk things or the lightning bolts?" Jenkins asked. Truly, the coalition managed to create biotic amplifiers that could not only manipulate matter and dark energy, but also change polarity and voltage, and while it could cause migraines, nausea and other side effects, Kaidan utilised his abilities to full effect. While the spectre and the human stood guard outside, Shepard, Williams and Alenko force opened a housing facility, discovering 2 trapped scientists inside. After learning that the beacon was moved in the spaceport, and knocking out the crackpot scientist, 'To stop him from doing something crazy and dangerous.' as the commander said after doing so, the trio got out, only to see the corporal holding his head and alone:

"Where's Nihlus?" Kaidan asked to the still dizzy corporal:

"He stuck his head to the wall, probably eavesdropping. When I asked him what he was doing, he sucker punched me, sorry commander I..." Jenkins apologised:

"Bloody fucking shit on a stick! We gotta move, double time!" Shepard ordered. While puzzled, the rest complied quickly dispatching more enemies along the way, they saw the same black spaceship Shepard saw in the previous footage:

"NO TIME TO SIGHTSEE, KEEP MOVING!"

He snapped his squad out of their awe. He knew that there was someone else on the planet, the one responsible for this invasion. Of course, he disguised it as worry that the turian spectre could get ambushed and killed if alone. When they reached the spaceport, he saw another turian taking with Nihlus. The 2 certainly knew each other, but when Kryik turned his back, the unknown turian took aim to the back of his skull. Shepard didn't have time to swap to his sniper rifle and his assault rifle would likely be unable to penetrate or deplete the shields of the hostile combatant quickly enough. So, he let his assault rifle drop and, faster than the eye could see, pulled out his revolver. Keeping the trigger pulled, he cocked the hammer 3 times at rapid succession, letting 3 large caliber rounds hit the target. As expected, the aggressor's shields were stronger than normal and he was a bit too far away, nevertheless it was enough to throw his aim off balance. Another gunshot and a scream of pain were heard, as Nihlus collapsed, clutching the left side of his head, but still alive. The other turian threw a couple of smoke grenades and vanished, sending even more geth and husks against the 4 soldiers:

"JENKINS, WILLIAMS, COVERING FIRE! ALENKO, WITH ME!" Shepard charged along with Kaidan, decimating all who stood between them and the injured turian. Unfortunately, the one who shot him escaped on a hoverboard, forcing Shepard to focus his attention back to the wounded spectre:

"The shot didn't penetrate the skull, but he is losing blood and a couple of his fringes are broken, he needs medevac." Kaidan diagnosed. Before Shepard could call however, a human civilian revealed himself from behind some crates:

"WAIT, DON'T SHOOT, I'M HUMAN!" He shouted:

"Who are you?" Shepard asked:

"Name's Powell. I work here. I saw what happened to your friend..." While Kaidan and Jenkins were treating Nihlus, Douglas learned the name of the other turian, Saren, the location of the beacon and the bombs planted around the final station, were their primary objective was:

"Jenkins, you evacuate with Nihlus, the rest with me, we have to disarm the bombs as soon as possible. Kill any geth or husk you encounter." Shepard ordered.

The 3 took the monorail and reached their destination. The resistance was stiffer than before, as the geth brought heavy platforms equipped with rocket launchers and others armed with sniper rifles, making the situation far more dangerous:

"BOMB DISABLED COMMANDER!" Kaidan said:

"KEEP MOVING PEOPLE, WE DON'T HAVE MUCH TIME! WILLIAMS, LAUNCH SOME GRENADES!" They cleared the ramps one at the time, time and dozens of murderous machines stacked against them. It took a good 3 minutes to clear the area and disable the last bomb. The 3 took some time to rest:

"Phew, we actually did it commander.I am so hitting the bar when this is over." Williams commented:

"Got to admit, I thought we wouldn't make it when they deployed rocket launchers." Kaidan added:

"We did good work today lads, now for the grand prize." Shepard moved down the stairs, where the beacon was standing, right in front of him. While he called that the beacon was secured, Ashley touched the beacon and started floating in the air, panicking and thrashing to get away from the pull. Shepard saw it and bolted towards her, effectively pulling her out. Now he was the one being pulled. Strange images started to flood his brain the closer he got to the beacon. He couldn't make any sense of it, nothing could, not what was happening, not the voices, not the visions. He couldn't remember the explosion that knocked him out cold or his squadmates scurrying to get him back to the ship. Only darkness remained.

**AN**

**I always found Jenkins' death too anticlimactic and unrealistic. Who runs uphill alone and without cover in a hostile area? Also, I believe Nihlus could offer a lot more to this fic alive rather than dead, so I changed the death scene to a dramatic injury, much like Garrus in ME2. **


	30. First human spectre

**7th July 2183, TCS Normandy**

Shepard was lying on a hospital bed, in the ship's medical ward. Thankfully the lights weren't too bright, so he easily blinked 3 times and rubbed his head:

"Gaah, were is that dirty motherfucker who spiked my drink? I will smash his goddamn teeth..."He muttered and checked himself for injuries, finding none. He looked next to him and saw the resting form of Nihlus to his left. His armour was gone and his head was bandaged up, a couple of his fringes missing, the heart monitor showed that his condition was stable. A minute later, he woke up too:

"Uuuggh, I feel like a run down public toilet, oh commander, you're here too?" He asked:

"Just discovered than my body has an allergy to exploding beacons." Shepard humoured, the turian however didn't like what he heard:

"WHAT? You lost the beacon? DON'T YOU HAVE ANY IDEA..." He asked in disbelief:

"Hey, chill the fuck out bandana head. That bloody thing malfunctioned and nearly killed me. Filled my brain with some sort of wacky vision before exploding. Also, you're welcome. I'm the reason you aren't a rotting, stinking carcass right now." Shepard retorted. Their little debate was put to a halt by doctor Chakwas, Ashley, Kaidan and Leroy, who entered in a hurry:

"Told you I could hear them." Jenkins, who got in first, happily said. There was a big swelling on his head, but he didn't seem to mind:

"Good to finally see you both awake. How do you feel?" The doctor asked:

"He says he feels like a run down public toilet. Pretty sure there's a good story behind it..." Shepard quipped, earning a glare from Nihlus:

"... as for me, I feel a bit dizzy, but I think I'm fine." He finished and sat on the bed:

"Indeed commander. You are physically healthy, but when you were out, I detected abnormal brain activity and rapid eye movement. Both signs associated with intense dreaming." The doctor gave her diagnosis. Shepard shook his head:

"No, not dreaming. That beacon transmitted some kind of... vision before exploding. I couldn't make much sense out of it." He replied:

"I should add this to my report. Now for Nihlus, the bullet was laced with a deadly toxin and nearly hit your brain. Just a little closer and you would end up dead. I gave you an antidote, but I suggest rest until we reach the citadel. Captain Anderson is currently talking with the council." Chakwas recommended and left. Awkward silence ensued for a few seconds:

"Not to put pressure to our turian guest, but who is Saren and why did he try to kill you? What was he doing on Eden Prime in the first place?" Ashley asked:

"Yeah, you look like you know each other, better spill before the captain comes." Kaidan added. All looked to the turian expectantly. Nihlus lowered his eyes:

"Saren Arterius, the most decorated spectre of the citadel. He is... was... my friend and mentor. I am sorry, but I have no idea what happened or why he did what he did. He always resented humanity, but he would never do something so extreme." He answered:

"He was likely after the beacon, or, most likely, what was inside the beacon. He wouldn't plant all these bombs otherwise." Kaidan concluded:

"Why would he need that... whatever that vision is? I can't even make sense out of it. Pretty sure he is unable too. I'm not an expert, but these things were designed for protheans so only they could understand them." Shepard asked:

"I want to know why Saren invaded Eden Prime. If he really is a spectre, he could easily access the beacon in the citadel after we secured it. Why stir so much trouble and attack my home, why go rogue?" Jenkins spoke his mind:

"What is bugging me is how he got the goddamn geth of all races to work for him. Also that black ship, where did it come from?" Ashley asked:

"Alright lads, settle down, enough brain storming for now. Let's wait until the captain comes. With a bit of luck, we'll get more answers in the citadel." Shepard quieted down the squad. Soon, Anderson came and asked for a detailed report. The squad gave a condensed version of their previous discussion. The captain knew about Saren Arterius and his reputation, but admitted that attacking a human world and aligning with the geth was insanity on a scale unmatched by his previous assignments:

"You have all done well in the mission. Commander, come in my office when ready, there is something we need to discuss." Anderson ordered and left. The rest looked at the commander as he soon followed. In the captain's cabin, Anderson locked all communication devices and, as Shepard got inside, locked the door:

"You already know about Saren, right?" The captain pointedly asked:

"No captain, I kept it in check, I know nothing." Shepard shook his head:

"Alright, the truth then. About a decade ago, the board of directors wanted to put a human as spectre. Long story short, they chose me. The bad news, my evaluator was none other but..." Anderson paused and looked at Shepard:

"Saren fucking Arterius?" The commander added:

"Exactly. Saren mother fucking Arterius. The council ordered us to kill or capture a rogue human scientist. We were supposed to go in quiet, but that son of a bitch blew up a refinery and killed at least 50 people along with the target. Of course, he blamed me, told the council that I triggered an alarm and forced him to use explosives... Fucking asshole." The captain was fuming:

"So you're saying we have to bury that bastard as soon as possible." Shepard commented:

"That too, but be careful Douglas. That cock fucker is ruthless as all hell and then some. He would kill his own family in order to complete his mission. Now he has an army of geth under his command and already assaulted a human colony. Who knows what he plans next." Anderson warned:

"Don't worry captain. Saren is a dead turian walking, just needs to take a white hot bullet in the head and..." Shepard stopped talking and rubbed his chin, a smile forming on his lips:

"... captain, did you inform the council about the health of Nihlus?" The commander asked:

"Yeah, told them he was shot with a poisoned bullet and needed emergency surgery, why?" The captain asked curiously:

"Just want to see if Saren believes in ghosts, can you tell the councillors that Nihlus died?" Shepard asked, still smiling. Realisation dawned too Anderson:

"You want to play with Saren's psychology, right? Serves him right, do we have any stealth suits?" He asked, not smiling, but certainly in a better mood:

"Does the bear shit in the woods?" Came the answer:

"I'd love to see the show. But in all seriousness now, that black ship we saw in the footage. If it really is what I think it is, we'll have our work cut out for us." Anderson answered, slightly deflated:

"That thing will join the scrap heap along with Saren come hell or high water captain." Shepard said:

"Excellent, you can go now. Oh and Shepard, this is your first time to ever visit the citadel, try to make a good first impression." The captain warned, highlighting the word good:

"Unless someone tries to fuck with me, I will be a proper saint." Shepard saluted. The captain nodded and dismissed him.

**A few hours later, Serpent nebula, citadel in range...**

"This is TCS Normandy calling coalition command post, requesting docking permission." Joker announced:

"You are clear to land Normandy, docking bay 422. Welcome to the citadel." A mechanical voice answered the pilot. It took some serious clout to allow the presence of AI's within the citadel, and even those had to be installed in humanoid mobile platforms, dressed in artificial epidermis, in order to avoid causing panic among the organic residents:

"That's the Destiny's Ascension, the flagship of the citadel fleet." Kaidan started the conversation:

"Whoa, it's bigger than I expected." Jenkins added:

"I think it's far too elegant. Give me shark noses anytime." Ashley commented:

"I believe it's just an over glorified bullet sponge. I mean seriously, who puts so many windows on a dreadnought? It's supposed to be a warship, not a cruise boat." Shepard asked. Then they saw the coalition fleet which was protecting the citadel. Instead of dreadnoughts, they posted 3 strike craft carriers, 12 cruisers and multiple assault destroyers and frigates. The most distinct feature of the terran navy was that, unlike the other races, didn't follow a specific design type, but 3, as homage to the 3 powers. The allied vessels, painted in black and blue, had elongated trapeze fuselages. The soviets still used cylindrical shapes and olive green colours, along with the shark mouth, bear badge or hammer and sickle decals as decorations. The imperial preferred hexagonal ships, painted in white and orange, decorated with banners of various Japanese symbols and, of course, the imperial flag. This diversity somehow became the signature trademark of the coalition navy, rendering the need for standardisation obsolete, keeping a sense of uniqueness and pride among the crews. The Normandy was designed with the allied template and slightly altered to look like a bird of prey, courtesy of the turian engineers. After docking, captain Anderson, commander Shepard, lieutenant Alenko, gunnery chief Williams and corporal Jenkins, disembarked the ship and headed straight to the presidium and the human embassy. Originally, the council didn't want the embassy installed there, as humanity wasn't a council race. Ambassador Udina gave them an alternative, building a huge building in the wards, filled to the brim with turrets, anti air emplacements, gunships, heavy tanks and an entire regiment of heavily armed troops to protect and patrol the surrounding area. Suffice to say, the council dropped the argument near instantly.

**Citadel presidium, human embassy...**

"I told you before Anderson, your history with Saren is not going to support our case at all. Apart from that dock worker's testimony, we have no tangible proof that he is the one behind the attack. The council will not give up their top operative that easily." Udina tried to convince the captain:

"What are we supposed to do then? Wait until another attack occurs?" Anderson shot back. Clearly, he didn't like the ambassador all that much, and the feeling was mutual:

"Calm down. Commander Shepard, I have some leads that can help, thanks to the CISP. C-Sec is conducting its own investigation, but spectre records are sealed, so they have yet to turn anything useful. There is however a turian detective named Vakarian, Garrus Vakarian. He is the lead investigator and has a personal vendetta against Saren. He really wants to prove his guilt and from what I've heard, he found something incriminating. Talk to executor Pallin, he likely knows where you can find him." Udina instructed. Shepard nodded and spoke to Anderson:

"What do you think about it captain?" He asked for advice:

"This is a matter of galactic importance. You could earn some favor by working with other species, maybe even recruiting

him." Anderson recommended:

"Oh, I get it. In the end, I get to lead a multi species task force after a rogue spectre and his army of geth while you happily rest in your apartment, right?" Douglas replied, smirking sarcastically. Normally, Anderson would chew anyone who disrespected him until his brain melted, but this was a unique case:

"Always put the subordinates to take care of the shit moping. Happy hunting commander, try not to get killed." Anderson answered and shooed him away:

"Right away captain." Shepard saluted:

"Good, now Udina. If you have a coffee machine and you are not too busy, get me a double espresso, black please." The captain ordered. The squad left, leaving a pretty much pissed off ambassador to call for his assistant for a coffee. The 4 soldiers first roamed around the presidium a bit to enjoy the view. Then, they spent some more time watching the various shops and embassies, making fun of Avina, the citadel VI, and settling the dispute between a hanar preacher and a C-Sec officer, relatively peacefully. They eventually reached the executor's office, a conversation could be heard from inside:

"Please executor, I just need some more time, I am certain that Saren is dirty." A turian voice pleaded:

"There is only 1 hour remaining until the council meeting. What do you hope to find in such a short time?" An older turian voice, definitely belonging to that of executor Pallin, asked:

"Saren's definitely hiding something. Stall the meeting and I will get results." A humourless chuckle was heard:

"Stall the council? Don't be ridiculous. Your investigation is over Vakarian." The executor answered with finality. Shepard could easily detect the anger and frustration emanating from the detective. When the door opened, a turian C-Sec officer, dressed in black and blue armor, came out. He had blue eyes and wore a visor on his left eye:

"You look like you are in a bit of a tough spot mate." Shepard, leaning on a wall with his arms folded to his chest, neutrally stated, surprising the turian. Garrus eyed first him, then the other 3 armed and armored humans for a bit, trying to figure out who they were. His eyes fell again on the commander, or more specifically, the symbol on his chest plate.

He knew about the infamous hunter division, hell, respected them more than the spectres. But watching one in the flesh, considering the important case regarding Saren going rogue, was too much of a coincidence:

"Detective Garrus Vakarian, is there something I can help you with?" He asked diplomatically:

"Saren Arterius evaded me in Eden Prime once. Are you willing to help me put him down for good?" Shepard asked back. Something clicked in the detective's mind. He have heard about the invasion of Eden Prime and made his own research, delving in some files he wasn't supposed to. If the data was to be trusted, the hunter in front of him was none other than...:

"You are commander Douglas Shepard." Garrus stated. His mandibles were slack and trembling nervously, and rightly so. While Shepard was a hero by coalition standards, he was considered too violent and aggressive by the majority of the council citizens, like the bastard offspring of a krogan, a vorcha, a batarian and a drunk asari. Most of these rumours were spread by batarians and quarians who had to undergo the 'Shepard regime of training' under the tutelage of the first generation special forces, and let's not forget the hegemony:

"Guilty as charged, so what's it going to be? Better choose fast because I have a to do list longer than a Francis fuckface Kitt play." Douglas retorted impatiently. Even his squad mates could understand that Garrus was uncomfortable. Still, he answered the question:

"Okay..., there is a volus financial advisor named Barla Von. He is an agent of the Shadow Broker and has information regarding Saren. Sadly, his services don't come cheap and I don't have the time to procure a warrant, so you're on your own. But judging by your reputation and heavy armaments, I think you've got this handled." Garrus answered, a bit more relaxed:

"Thank you kindly detective. Rest assured, we come in peace, so unless someone tries to act tough, there is nothing to worry about." Shepard said and left along with his squad. The turian officer just stayed there for a few seconds and exhaled:

"I find it really hard to believe." He monologued. Suddenly, his omnitool started beeping. It was the contact of doctor Chloe Michel, the owner of a clinic located in the upper wards. She patched him up one time after apprehending a violent criminal a couple of years ago and Garrus kept in touch ever since:

"Hello doctor, how are you... What?... Okay, I'm coming, just sit tight." He ended the call and started running...

**Back to Shepard's squad...**

"I see you are pretty famous around these parts skipper." Ashley quipped. The 4 were heading towards the merchant district and there were quite a few aliens who looked at them with distrust and suspicion:

"So true, and I don't have the faintest idea why. Maybe there's something wrong with my face? Or they don't like how I smell?" Shepard asked sarcastically, Jenkins and Williams laughed at his reply:

"Commander, is this really the best time to make jokes? I mean, the situation is serious." Kaidan voiced his concern:

"Quit your whining sushi dick, we still have time, there's no real need for formalities and protocol, just be casual, we're all friends here." Shepard commented. He started calling his squad by nicknames, Jenkins was 'Jar head', from the way his head looked like when bandaged up, Williams was just 'Ash', cute and simple, and Alenko had the bad luck of earning the moniker 'Sushi dick', because of his Japanese-Canadian ancestry. He didn't like being called like that, as it was betrayed by him glaring to Douglas:

"There it is commander, just like he said."

Jenkins pointed at the financial office where the volus advisor worked, effectively preventing the argument from happening:

"Ah, earth-clan, the one called Douglas Shepard. It is a great honor to meet a soldier of such exceptional skill." The short, round shaped alien greeted, breathing heavily at regular intervals:

"I see news travel really fast in this space station. Unfortunately, I have no time to waste. You know why I'm here and you know what I want, so start talking." Shepard ordered:

"Straight to business I see. Very well, as I am sure you are aware, I am indeed an agent of the Shadow Broker. You should look for Fist, he owns a club called Chora's Den in the lower wards, he knows who has the information you seek." Barla Von answered:

"I sense a but coming in." Ashley commented. The volus slowly nodded:

"Indeed. I don't know why, but Fist is apparently either stupid or greedy enough to betray the Shadow Broker. That's why a krogan mercenary was tasked to... how you say, make the problem vanish. You could use his help if you want it." He recommended:

"We are coalition soldiers, not thugs for hire." Alenko immediately protested. In the short time he spent with his new squad, Shepard figured out the overall personalities of his squad mates. Jenkins, enthusiastic, altruistic, courageus but naive. Williams, disciplined, stubborn, good at following orders and a capable leader, surprising why she didn't rise to the ranks. And finally Alenko, also disciplined, calm, focused, with extreme sense of integrity and honor, which clashed with Douglas's informal character, checkered past and unconventional modus operandi:

"Think of it as a temporary alignment of interests lieutenant. A win-win situation. It's obvious that Fist is far from a law abiding citizen. One less criminal to worry about and we get the intel we need to nail Saren." Shepard suggested:

"How do you know all that commander? You've been here before?" Jenkins curiously asked. 'BOLLOCKS!' Shepard thought. He read the mind of the volus to make sure he was truthful and let this detail slip. Not the first time it ever happened, so he quickly gave his explanation:

"Haven't you been paying attention corporal? Fist is obviously a criminal alias. Secondly, what kind of club owner works and then betrays the Shadow Broker? Someone ruthless who has a lot of guns, money and manpower, it's common sense." The commander explained with just a hint of annoyance. Jenkins slightly deflated and nodded:

"A very astute observation. Now that our business is concluded... wait, I see detective Vakarian is in a bit of trouble. Some of Fist's thugs are causing trouble at doctor Michel's clinic in the upper wards. It would be advantageous to help the good detective and disrupt Fist at the same time, don't you agree?" Barla Von reasoned, but Shepard didn't acknowledge it. He went rigid like a statue, eyes peeled open and focused at his omnipad:

"Uhhh, commander, are you alright?" Kaidan asked, slightly nervous. That did the trick, Douglas jolted back in reality:

"Thanks for the intel slick, we're leaving now. Try not to piss the wrong people off, peace out." He answered to the volus faster than a hyped salarian and left, his squadmates still staring at him:

"Jesus Christ, that guy speaks in like... 1 syllable per minute. Anyway let's... let's head to the clinic, on the double." Douglas spoke to no one in particular and hurriedly opened the map to find the target destination, moving quickly towards the lift without even checking if his squad was behind him. Williams, Alenko and Jenkins, still inside the building, looked at each other in confusion. Why was the commander behaving like that, what agitated him at such degree?:

"Is that a regular occurrence?" The volus, face expression unreadable due to the suit, asked:

"No, that's the first time he ever..." Williams was about to say until...:

"WHY IN THE WHITE HOT BURNING BLAZES ARE YOU STILL HERE YOU CUNTS? GET A FUCKING MOVE ON RIGHT NOW!" Douglas roared on top of his lungs, from outside, making the squad hastily scramble behind him and back to their objective.

**A few minutes later, Dr Michel's clinic...**

Thinks have turned very ugly really fast.

Outnumbered, outgunned and unable to call for backup due to the comms being jammed, Garrus was pinned down behind a counter:

"Come on out occifer, we just want to have a chat." A shotgun blast followed, tearing through another part of the wall Garrus took cover behind. The shooter's name was Knuckles, primary enforcer of Fist. Normally, the turian detective would make a quip about the dismal imagination affecting the naming department, if doctor Michel wasn't muzzled and kept at gunpoint by 4 more gang members:

"If you drop your weapon and surrender, we can talk as much as you want... in the safety and comfort of a jail cell." Garrus commented. The gangsters of course laughed at the show of defiance:

"Changed my mind, I'll just shoot you and be done with it, nobody's gonna miss you. BOYS, SMOKE THIS PUNK OUT!" Knuckles pointed his left hand to the barrier and 3 of his thugs, except the one who held the doctor hostage, advanced with their weapons drawn. Garrus knew that he could eliminate 1, or maybe 2 hostiles, but the shotgun wielding human was waiting for him to raise his head, fully aware that the 18 gauge slug could easily bypass the shields and blast the head of the C-Sec officer into a fine blue mist. The turian's eyes fell on a broken mirror in front of him. A bit of precision calculation, 2 quick pistol shots over the shoulder, and down goes the lead thug, forcing the others to back away and take cover:

"DO I HAVE TO DO EVERYTHING MYSELF?" Knuckles roared and pulled out a grenade. He didn't have the chance to throw it, as an explosion cracked the clinic door open. Garrus saw the outlines of 4 human forms advancing through the dust and debris, weapons drawn. 1 lightning bolt, 2 short bursts of automatic fire and a shotgun blast later, only the hostage taker remained alive, but shaken:

"HEY, D... DON'T COME ANY CLOSER OR I SHOOT HER IN THE FACE!" She said, truly terrified, and held the doctor in a left arm choke hold, gun at the other. However, this last gangster made a fatal mistake. He focused only to the newcomers and ignored the turian officer. Garrus capitalised at that mistake and after taking quick and careful aim, he squeezed the trigger, sending a grain sized round right to her skull. With the last hostile taken care of and the dust settling down, the C-Sec detective still couldn't recognise the helmeted humans who assisted him. He rised from his cover:

"Hold fire, I'm a C-Sec officer... thanks for the distraction but you need to holster your weapons and identify yourselves." He ordered. He fell silent once he saw who his saviors were though:

"Wait, distraction? We practically saved your hide." Jenkins, now visible and helmet less, protested:

"Good to see you again corporal. Let me guess, Barla Von told you about my current predicament." Garrus said:

"That and a bunch of other stuff officer..."

While Leroy was recounting the squad's meeting with the volus accountant, Ashley helped the C-Sec officers with the bodies, Kaidan helped doctor Michel with the cuts and bruises she sustained during her captivity and Shepard was fiddling with the omnitool of the dead female gangster:

"Hey skipper, we are done with the clean up, what's next?" Williams requested new orders. Shepard lifted his head, crushed the omnitool in his fist and said smiling:

"Someone has a lot to answer for, plus how he managed to get his paws on an electronics jammer program designed and made by me. That little temper tantrum I had at the presidium? It's because I detected the signal. If that deadbeat had ANY idea how to use the program... she could shut down the whole Citadel in just a few minutes." Shepard answered, his smile not present anymore. Ashley and Kaidan, who was nearby, understood the possible troubles, the latter was even slightly impressed, given his specialisation in technology:

"Hey commander, Garrus says he wants to join us... hey!" Jenkins was taken aside by a 3 fingered claw like hand:

"I can talk for myself corporal, thank you very much. Commander, I'm coming with you. Fist surpassed every limit of clemency with his attempt of killing an officer and I want to put him down, same as you. Do you accept my services?" Garrus proposed. Shepard looked first at the turian, then to the female corpse and back to Garrus:

"You are expected to follow my orders if you want to join. Which means, no more one man army, lone warrior bullshit, comprende?" Shepard demanded:

"I didn't understand that last word, but I will follow your orders." The officer, after a brief moment of puzzlement, accepted the terms:

"Good. People, I know we only have 25 minutes until the council meeting, but Fist most likely knows we are coming for him. Detective, you have a good reputation in C-Sec, right?" Douglas asked:

"More or less, yes, I am respected among my colleagues, why?" Came the answer:

"Because we have to make a little stop the C-Sec atrium for reinforcements." Shepard said:

"Commander, before you go, I want thank you for saving my life, and that of Garrus too." Doctor Michel said with gratitude:

"No problem doc, but what exactly did these halfwits want from you?" Shepard asked:

"Yesterday, a quarian came here. She was shot and had a poisoned bullet lodged in her abdomen. Fortunately, she had her immunisation treatment, so I removed it without much issue. She told me that she held incriminating evidence against a rogue spectre, didn't say who. She was looking for a way to reach the council, but Fist has people looking for her." The doctor answered:

"Did you get her name?" Douglas interrupted:

"Yes, Tali'Zorah, I'm not sure if it's her real name though." That earned a blink from the commander:

"Really? Tali'Zorah, that's what she said?" The commander asked:

"Yes, that's what she told me. Do you know her?" Michel asked:

"Let's say we are acquainted. Anyway, thanks for the information, we should go now." Shepard cryptically answered and walked out through the busted door, soon followed by the rest. Kaidan lagged behind, apologising for the destroyed door and wishing quick recovery to the doctor, earning a smile in response...

**2 minutes later, Citadel Security atrium...**

"Witnesses saw you making threats in Fist's bar. Stay away from him." A human officer was imposing, with little success, to a battle scarred krogan in red armor, 2 armed turian officers behind it:

"I don't take orders from you." The old reptile answered:

"This is your only warning Wrex." The officer continued, never breaking eye contact with the krogan, despite being at least a head shorter:

"You should warn Fist. I will kill him." Wrex

threatened, making the human take a step back:

"Do you want me to arrest you?" The officer made a last attempt of intimidation, only making Wrex chuckle a bit:

"Hah, I want you to try." Before it could escalate further, someone who was watching decided to intervene:

"Now that's a real shame. Not only C-Sec protects criminals, but it's also unable to intimidate a lone krogan. Fucking disgraceful in my humble opinion." They all turned to the source of the voice, a group of 4 heavily armed human soldiers and a turian C-Sec officer. The 2 turians, cleverly, stood behind the, now amused and intrigued Wrex, while the human officer came face to face with Shepard:

"I don't know what kind of drugs you're on, but this is the citadel, not coalition space.

Which means you can't justGHHHH..." A hand, gripping his throat tightly, didn't allow the officer to continue:

"Can't do WHAT? Uncover a crooked cop?"

Shepard said with a sneer. While the C-Sec officer was desperately trying to break the grip on his neck, the human hunter used his free arm to search his pockets. A few seconds later, he found a credit chit:

"Would you look at that. A 10 grand credit chit. Someone's building one hell of a retirement fund, huh?" Douglas made a snide remark, while the officer was now pale as a ghost. Finally, the grip went slack and, after a series of coughs and hacks, the victim stood upright, only for a gun to aim at him:

"Sergeant Bastian Mulder, you are under arrest. You are accused for accepting bribes, extortion, illegal suppression of evidence, obstruction of justice and off duty misconduct..." After finishing with the 'arrest speech' and seizing the evidence, Garrus escorted the protesting suspect to the cells, along with Jenkins for additional backup:

"That was interesting, but who are you? I think I saw you somewhere before." The krogan lumbered towards the human commander with a curious look:

"Some call me the crazy brit, others call me the butcher of Torfan, there are those who call me lion of Elysium, survivor of Akuze or gunslinger Doug. Sounds familiar?" Douglas said:

"Yes, I remember now. You are commander Douglas Shepard, of the hunter division. I have heard a lot about you, some even say that you killed a thresher maw alone and on foot. I respect you Shepard, so I'm giving you a fair warning. I am going to kill Fist." Wrex answered:

"I couldn't care less if you want to plug your bolt up his ass, nothing is going to happen to him until I get the information I need. You can tag along if you want, just don't kill him too soon." Shepard bluntly said. The best way to deal with krogan is to be straightforward:

"My people have a saying. Seek the enemy of your enemy and you will find a friend. I think we could get along Shepard."

Wrex replied:

"Your people are wise, and so are you. Welcome to the team." Shepard shook hands with the krogan:

"Fist likely knows we're coming commander. Should we wait for Leroy and

Garrus to join us?" Kaidan asked:

"No need lieutenant, I could easily take his goons out alone. But it's better to kill bad guys with good company. Am I right Williams?" Douglas asked with a wink:

"That's... not how I would have put it commander, but I agree." The slightly blushing gunnery chief agreed:

"Let's get going then. I don't want to keep Fist waiting." Wrex said impatiently. Shepard nodded and the squad proceeded to their next target, Chora's Den, after sending a message to the 2 missing squad members to meet them there when done. Soon, the neon sign of a reclining asari signified their arrival to the destination:

"Kaidan, check for cameras, Ash, status update on Leroy and Garrus, Wrex, make sure there are no civilians close by." The team acknowledged and went to accomplish their given tasks:

"Now to see what you're hiding Fist." Shepard monologued and closed his eyes.

His psychic powers detected at least 20 armed hostiles and no civilians. They were dug in and covered behind walls and tables, all pointing towards the entry:

"Pfft, like I would take the front entrance." Shepard monologued again and waited for his teammates to return. He briefed them to the plan, blowing up a wall and catching the hostiles off guard. While Wrex was enthusiastic at the prospect of blowing stuff up and Ashley approved for the surprise and fear it would instill, Kaidan wasn't that happy:

"Plastic explosives aren't powerful enough to destroy the wall, so we have to use these, can you handle it Alenko?" Shepard gave 2 circular devices to Kaidan, both him and Williams recognised them:

"Are these plasma charges? Never imagined I would see them in person." She said enthusiastically:

"Commander, we can't use this kind of ordnance in a civilian area, this is council space and..." The lieutenant was interrupted by a slightly angry commander:

"Enough is enough sushi dick. I am the one in charge, so we do things my way. Now be a proper disciplined and obedient zipper head like the rest of your lot and do as I say." Shepard threatened in a low tone, clearly annoyed by the constant protests. Alenko finally relented and did as ordered. Then they all took position away from the blast zone, weapons in arm and waited for a few seconds...

**Meanwhile, in Chora's Den...**

"The welcoming committee is set boss. Anyone who gets in through the front door will be shot to ribbons." One of Fist's thugs reported to his boss. The human gang leader nodded and shooed him away without a word. Fist grabbed a data pad, before managing to read the first sentence and a loud hissing sound, followed by an explosion violently shook the club. After the shockwave dissipated, screams could be heard as they were drowned by the ensuing gunfire, explosions and sounds of breaking furniture. 10 seconds later, and silence ensued. Fist heard his office door opening, along with footsteps. Without looking, he crawled out of the battered table and tried to reach for the emergency button to activate the defence turrets, only for a bullet to sever some of his fingers, in which he shouted in pain:

"I'm sorry for busting in, but we really need to have a chat." Shepard said sarcastically, smirk hidden behind his helmet, revolver still smoking:

"YOU FUCKING LUNATIC, YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT TROUBLE YOU'RE GETTING INTO!" Fist screamed while clutching his bloody hand. The one who shot him made a hand gesture and the 2 humans of his team grabbed him and put his back against the wall:

"That's where you're wrong you pint sized prick, I know exactly what I'm getting into. Now, I have a question that needs answering. You will answer the question in a way I find satisfactory. Make it quick if you cherish your kneecaps... Where is the quarian?"

The interrogator didn't raise his voice at all, but Fist was warily eying the revolver he held:

"I can't tell you, they will kill me if I... AAAAGH fuck!" Another shot took out his big right toe, the 2 humans didn't let him drop:

"They are not here, I am. You sent your thugs to search for a quarian in doctor Michel's clinic. She escaped and is currently hiding somewhere in the ward. Now tell me where she is before I lose my patience." The black armor clad human closed the distance, his insignia now visible, and aimed the revolver point blank at Fist's knee:

"AAAHHH, PLEASE STOP, I WILL TALK! The quarian hid in the ducts. She wants to meet a coalition official to deliver some evidence against Saren. His mercenaries managed to contact her and she agreed to meet them in the alleyway near here. You can catch up if you hurry, please don't kill me." Fist spoke as quickly as he could, aware of meaning of that symbol:

"You made the smart choice, which means I am not going to kill you." The hunter picked up the data pad that Fist was reading, then ordered his team to follow him, dropping Fist on the floor. For a moment, the mob boss felt elated and started laughing hysterically, happy that he was spared. Until he saw a red clad krogan aiming at him with a shotgun...

**30 seconds later, outside Chora's Den...**

"Is that how you handle criminals in coalition space? Do you accept turians with 5 years of experience in your police force?" Garrus joked, after he saw the gung-ho brand of justice that Shepard delivered:

"Mostly and no. Anyway, how did your task go?" Shepard asked. The turian's dejected look was a good enough answer:

"He was prepared commander. He claimed he was working undercover and spilled some secrets on various criminals. They let him go free and changed his post." Jenkins answered, also disappointed:

"Don't we have a job to do? If what Fist told us is true, our lead doesn't have long."

Ashley reminded Douglas about their next objective:

"You're right, I would hate to miss the show. Okay people, get a move on." Shepard announced and led the way, his team puzzled at his choice of words. A little later, they found half a dozen people dressed as C-Sec officers talking with a quarian wearing a purple and black skintight suit and hood. Shepard ordered his team to stay put and out of sight, keep their weapons down and silently observe the meeting:

"Did you bring it?" The leader of the team, a turian with white markings came close to her, his tone friendly:

"Where is the commissioner? I was very amadant that he was to meet me in person." The quarian responded in a voice that Douglas knew very well, a wry smile forming on his lips:

"We are here to escort you to him ma'am. If you please follow us..." The leader started touching her, like he was searching for weapons or something else, but the quarian knocked his hand away:

"No way, the deal is off. Don't call me again." She said. The rest of the impostors went for their guns, but in a display of superior training and reflexes, the quarian threw an explosive device, killing 2 enemies and wounding the leader, then pulled out a shotgun, shooting the others before they could recover from the shock wave. Then, she kneeled on the survivor's throat and asked who he was working for. The turian couldn't speak due to collapsed lungs, so the quarian pulled her boot knife and finished him off. A slow clap made her tense up and turn:

"Good to see I didn't train you for nothing Zorah. Would be a sad waste to wait until I could retrain you again." Shepard humoured as he saw the, now visible, Tali Zorah. Her silver eyes and mouth were wide open and then she stood a bit straighter in attention. Some habits die hard:

"Commander Shepard, Tali Zorah reporting." She saluted, making Shepard laugh and salute back:

"There's no need for that anymore. And you earned the right to call me just Shepard after your little display here. LADS, YOU CAN COME OUT NOW." The squad assembled again. The atmosphere was jovial as they accomplished their objective with no friendly or civilian casualties:

"What you did was amazing, who trained you?" Jenkins asked. Tali just showed the commander, who was busy making some calls, over her shoulder:

"Gotta admit, I like your style quarian. If you are half as good as Shepard, we will do just fine." Wrex complimented Tali:

"Commander, we still have 7 minutes left. Shall we go to the embassy?" Ashley reminded. Shepard checked his omnipad:

"You're right I would hate to keep them waiting. Also, I'm itching to learn what kind of evidence we got."

**Back in the human embassy...**

"You are not making my job any easier Shepard. Gunfights in the citadel? Explosions in the wards? An all out assault at Chora's Den? Do you have any idea how many..." Udina was pacing back and forth while chastising the commander:

"Shut up Udina! We got the job done and with no innocent casualties. Let alone all the help we picked along the way." Shepard showed his team. Udina tried to ignore the insult and looked at the strange band of humans and xenos. Would be easier for Shepard to gain spectre status if he was willing to work with citadel races. The quarian's presence would further improve humanity's standing with the quarian democracies. The krogan mercenary looked like a valuable asset too. 150000 funds would be enough for his services and whatever interesting information:

"Insults aside, you said you have proof that prove Saren's guilt. May I see it?"

Udina asked as politely as he could:

"I ripped it out of a geth memory core shortly after the attack on Eden Prime. I was quick enough and lucky enough to keep it from being wiped. Listen..." Tali fiddle a bit with her omnitool and...:

"Eden Prime has been a major victory. It brings us 1 step closer to finding the Conduit." An electronic voice, which clearly belonged to Saren Arterius, was heard:

"And one step closer to the return of the Reapers." Another voice answered, this one female. While the listeners were happy that they got real proof against the rogue spectre, questions formed in their minds:

"Conduit? Reapers? What are they talking about?" Kaidan asked, to no one in particular. No one had the answer:

"I don't recognise that other voice, but

we have the necessary evidence. Captain Anderson will join us in the council chambers. The meeting starts in 3 minutes, so I suggest we get there." Udina announced. Shepard nodded and they all moved to the elevator. While the citadel elevators were roomy enough for the the squad and Udina, the music was annoying and the speed low. It took a whole minute and still had way to go:

"Brace yourselves." Before anyone could ask, Shepard pressed a few buttons on his omnipad and the elevetor rocketed towards the top, those who didn't heed his warning lost their balance, Tali yelped, Garrus crashed on Ashley and Udina fell flat on his ass. They reached their destination, the human ambassador dusted himself, and Shepard went straight to captain Anderson:

"I take you have accomplished your objective. Saren is already talking to the council through the communicator. It won't save him though." He said:

"We have Saren on tape characterising Eden Prime as a victory. He is pretty much done for. On a side note, is he here?" Shepard asked quietly. Instead of an answer, someone touched on the shoulder from behind. He didn't bother turning as he knew what was happening, but rolled his eyes:

"You really enjoy this, don't you?" Douglas asked the cloaked, and not so dead spectre:

"Shepard, Anderson, the meeting is starting." Udina announced. The 2 hunters followed, behind them the whole squad. Everyone more or less had a reason to want Saren taken down and didn't want to miss the show. They all entered the meeting grounds. Around them, the room was filled with cherry trees. They had to walk up the stairs but the councillors still had the higher ground:

"Inferiority complex much?" Shepard monologued, Ashley and Tali heard him and chuckled a bit. Finally, they reached the podium, captain Anderson, ambassador Udina and commander Shepard in the front. Next to the councillors was the hologram of Saren Arterius, who was transmitting live to the meeting:

"We agree to meet today to address 2 important issues. The loss of the beacon in Eden Prime and the claims that Saren Arterius, top spectre of the citadel, conspired with the geth in order to destroy the colony. Ambassador Udina, what do you have to say?" Councillor Tevos started the hearing officially:

"Councillors, Saren Arterius entered coalition space without a hunter escort, thus breaking the agreed regulations, and led a geth force to raze Eden Prime and kill many coalition citizens. Had commander Shepard and his squad not arrived, the whole colony would be destroyed because of the high yield explosive devices he planted. The coalition demands him to be stripped of his spectre status and be flagged as a terrorist and fugitive of the law." Udina demanded. Shepard inwardly admitted that old rat face had a gift with words:

"While the geth attack is a matter of some concern, there is nothing indicating that Saren was involved or even present near coalition space." Tevos immediately retorted:

"The investigation by citadel security didn't turn up any evidence to support your charge of treason." Councillor Sparatus added:

"An eyewitness saw him killing Nihlus, his fellow spectre and mentor, in cold blood. Saren shot him in the back of the head with a poison round." Udina insisted:

"We've read the reports ambassador. The testimony of a traumatised dockworker is hardly compelling proof." Councillor Valern

shot back. They really didn't want Saren to be proven guilty:

"I resent these accusations. Nihlus was a fellow spectre. And a friend." Saren said through the hologram. Judging from the side of it, someone was over compensating:

"A friend that you caught off guard." Anderson couldn't keep his cool anymore:

"Ah, captain Anderson. Always present when humanity makes false accusations against me. And this must be your protégé, commander Shepard, the one who let the beacon get destroyed." Saren retorted immediately:

"Couldn't accomplish it without your excellent assistance asswipe. How is your hand by the way?" Shepard taunted. He could swear that his comment made Saren pop a vein:

"Shifting the blame to cover your own failures. Anderson taught you well. But what can you expect from a human?" Saren remarked smugly. Time to bring the noise:

"On the contrary, you bareface wanker, I was literally tearing the citadel apart searching for proof. Didn't take much for to Fist squeal in the end. Udina, let them hear it." Shepard ordered. The ambassador obliged immediately and activated his omnitool. Saren's attitude disappeared after he heard his own words calling Eden Prime a victory. He wouldn't give up that easy though:

"You must be really desperate Anderson. Making such a pathetic forgery just to sound relevant. I don't know what kind of mental issues you got over the years, but maybe you should consider retiring." Saren tried to deny the charges again, but the councillors started to doubt their top agent. Shepard laughed loudly, earning curious looks from everyone around, except Anderson:

"Commander Shepard, I fail to find your reason of amusement, can you explain yourself?" Tevos asked. Douglas looked at her and pointed his thumb at Saren's hologram:

"Gotta give it to the stubborn bastard, his is more persistent than herpes. Too bad that another eyewitness saw him at Eden Prime. AND HE IS RIGHT HERE!" Shepard showed the empty space next to him. Suddenly, a figure materialised right there, causing Saren, the councillors, Udina and Shepard's squad gasp:

"Sorry for my unauthorised entry councillors, but this is too important to wait. Saren Arterius was in Eden Prime. He claimed that he was there to assist, but he shot me as soon as I turned my back. Hadn't it been for commander Shepard's timely intervention and the excellent health care in the Normandy, I would be dead." The not so dead spectre said to the council, without even looking at his mentor and former friend. It took some time for the councillors to shake off the shock, but they reached an agreement:

"The evidence is irrefutable. Saren Arterius, you are hereby stripped of your spectre status along with the rights and privileges associated with your title." Sparatus announced, angry at the fact that one of his own people turned traitor:

"THIS CHANGES NOTHING! SOON YOU WILL ALL WITNESS THE POWER OF THE REAPERS! ONLY I CAN SAVE YOU FROM THEIR WRATH!" Saren threatened the participants before disconnecting:

"Well, now what? Who is going to catch the bad guy?" Shepard sarcastically asked:

"There is another matter we need to discuss first. That second voice at the recording. It was matriarch Benezia T'Soni, a wise and respected leader of my people." Tevos said:

"Which means Saren's corruption runs deep to be able getting an asari matriarch in the fold. Do you have any other leads?" Udina tried to get more details:

"Only spectres are entitled to that kind of information. Your kind got one thing right and you demand..." Sparatus angrily retorted:

"Hey, whoa, calm down councillor, anger can be bad for your health. There are too many unanswered questions about Saren, his army of geth, Benezia, the conduit and the reapers, whatever the fuck these last 2 things could be. No need to burden yourself with additional stress. Just leave it to me, Nihlus and my squad. We will bring you the big bad traitor in birthday wrapping and all will be fine and dandy."

Shepard interjected with as much decorum as he could muster. Sparatus couldn't come with an appropriate answer and stood quiet. Douglas was about to turn and leave but someone stopped him:

"Wait commander Shepard. While your manners are rough and your race is still young, you proved your competence, both by saving a spectre and finding proof against Saren. Councillors, I think he is suitable for the spectres." Valern said:

"WHAT? You are not seriously considering it..." Sparatus was livid:

"Please quiet down councillor. Commander Shepard, step forward." Tevos ordered. Douglas did as told, inwardly praying there wasn't going to be a long speech in his initiation. Too bad that was exactly the case and there were dozens of eyes watching and waiting in anticipation:

"It is the decision of the council that you be granted all the rights and privileges of the special tactics and reconnaissance branch of the citadel." Tevos started, while Shepard internally groaned:

"Spectres are not trained, but chosen. Individuals forged in the fire of service and battle..." Valern continued, but Douglas couldn't take it anymore:

"Yeah, yeah, blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah whatever. Time's a wasting and I have a rogue spectre to catch, so go pester Udina, buh bye." Shepard interrupted the speech, waved his hand over his shoulder and left along with his squad. When the shock receded, Tevos was furious, Valern wide eyed and Sparatus looked ready to blow a gasket:

"Captain Anderson, the council requires you for a matter of importance. Everyone else is free to go. This meeting is adjourned." Tevos ordered. Less than a minute, and Anderson was alone with the councillors. He knew what they wanted to talk about:

"Captain Anderson, you are the one who trained commander Shepard, correct?" Tevos asked:

"Only unofficially, for 3 years since he was 15." Anderson answered:

"What exactly were you teaching him?" Valern asked:

"While the specifics are classified, I taught him close quarters combat, firearm training with live ammo, extreme survival in different environments, medicine, engineering, scouting, reconnaissance, sabotage and assassination, which are the basics in the actual hunter training." Anderson answered truthfully:

"Didn't you teach him anything about military etiquette or discipline? His insolence and behavior would guarantee nothing less than life imprisonment or capital punishment had he been in the turian blackwatch or any other council species elite unit." Sparatus, with barely contained anger, stated. Anderson shook his head and chuckled:

"He received worse than capital punishment councillor. He underwent the 'Cancer removal' training. Again, no specifics, but I supervised him as he went through the most brutal and cruel regime in the galaxy. It comes with 45 percent lethality rate and is exclusively used abd designed to break rebellious characters. Starvation, exposure to the worst elements of nature, days without sleep, even a week of training in the Chernobyl irradiated zone. I threatened to put him under more of this, do you know what he said?" Anderson asked. Tevos was slightly more sympathetic after what she heard, even Sparatus deflated a bit:

"What did he say?" Valern asked, more interested in this treasure trove of information:

"He grinned to me and said 'Yes please'. That's when I understood. Commander Shepard is unbreakable. He doesn't care how high you are in the ranks, or how many men, guns, money and power you possess. Threats, scolding and demands for respect and subordination are hollow to him. On the contrary, he laughs at these attempts. Don't mistake his attitude for lack of discipline or intelligence, because he has both in very large quantities." The captain stated. The councillors talked a bit in hushed tones, then turned back to Anderson:

"What do you suggest we do with him then? Surely, we can't have him disrespect us in front of everyone like this." Tevos asked. The captain clapped his hands once:

"Now you are asking the right question. There are 2 possible ways. First, you can act all professional and straightforward. Which means, you give him a mission, the necessary details and the means to complete it. Nothing more, nothing less. It won't be enough to earn his respect, but at least he will be polite and professional." Anderson proposed:

"And what's the other option?" Tevos asked:

"The other way is a bit complicated. You have to come in sync with his way of thinking. Try to be more friendly and sarcastic, but stay straightforward. Also, remember that his greatest weakness is boredom. Without a mission, he will do whatever he thinks best in order to alleviate it." The human captain finished:

"Thank you for the information captain. You may leave now." Tevos said:

"No, not yet, one last question. From what I understand, Shepard doesn't fight because it's his duty, he doesn't look like he derives any sort of pleasure out of it either. Why does he fight then?" Sparatus asked:

"Friends, family and fellow soldiers. That's why he fights." Anderson answered and left without waiting for permission. The councillors again discussed this new information. Now they had some ideas about keeping Shepard in the fold. Little did they know, 2 separate camouflaged entities saw and heard everything.

**Meanwhile, back in the human embassy...**The squad reaction to Shepard's dynamic exit was mixed. While Wrex, Ashley, Leroy and Tali praised him for putting those arrogant, lily livered, hoity toity, miserable rodent analogues to their place, Kaidan, Garrus and, especially, Nihlus warned him to be careful. Shepard's answer to why he did what he did came quickly:

"They are lucky I didn't downright flip them of and insult their mothers. Especially that turian bastard Sparatus. First they treat me and Anderson like we come straight from the nuthouse for blaming Saren, then they give me a shiny spectre badge and good for nothing speech, bloody useless mongrel pieces of shit." He angrily cussed:

"Still, they are just doing their job commander, no need to make a tough job a lot harder." Kaidan reasoned. The newly appointed spectre huffed once:

"Just needed to let it out sushi dick. Anyway, captain Anderson said that he will put me in charge of the Normandy. Now, from what I can see we have a pretty decent task force. Who can guess what the next step is?" Shepard quizzed:

"A team building exercise?" Garrus asked:

"A team name?" Jenkins talked before Douglas could answer:

"Same armor color pattern?" Tali joked:

"Better guns?" Wrex asked. Shepard showed the krogan to the rest of the squad:

"That's the right answer. Sometimes the best answer to any problem comes from the barrel of a high quality firearm. I brought a little something aboard the Normandy which can help with all our killing needs." Shepard said and motioned his squad to follow.

**AN****No, I am not dead yet, but things have been getting ugly out there. First the virus, then the crazy sultan wannabe in the east****and to top all that, 2 weeks of no electronics vacation. Sure, I don't mind camping and wilderness activities at all, but it was kind of the reason I couldn't keep writing. Anyway, here's the next part, hope the idiot in the east doesn't declare a war on us. **


End file.
